Oriole
by MaK 16
Summary: Oriole visits Robin and the Titans in Jump City. But interrupting the visit is Slade! What will happen to Oriole and Robin? How will they escape Slade and save Batman? RobinXStarfire. Brother and Sister moments. Has some OC characters. Finished story line, but is now in editting. Needs a massive facelift! Prologue editted!
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**: Does anyone even know who owns DC comics? Well if you don't, it's certainly not me!

**Author's Notes**: Hello everyone! Okay, I am not going to promise when everything is going to be uploaded b/c I want every chapter to be as perfect as I can make it. But I am hoping to have one chapter per week. Look at my profile for dedications and thanks for tuning in. Now for what you wanted to read today, I proudly introduce …(wait for it) my first multi-chapter fanfiction, Oriole! And this chapter is now edited in its final stage.

Prologue: In the Beginning

Oriole

Time Unknown

Minnesota

Deep in the Chippewa National Forest

Eleven Years Ago

Sara had never been just an ordinary girl. Her parents died when she was just four years old. No, scratch that. They were murdered. Why? The official reason is simply stated as "Unknown". But Sara knew why. Her uncle, Frank, had told her. He told her they would be back. She just wished it had taken longer. She wished she had more time to train, more time to practice her powers. She'd only just gotten them when she was eight and there was still so much she felt she still had to learn.

But now he found them. That monster that killed her parents. As Uncle Frank's cold, sweaty hands wrapped around his young niece, he ran from his cabin through the aspen and pine trees towards Cass Lake, the closest city. Sara's large green eyes darted around the trees behind him as she hugged his neck, hoping not to see the monster, tears blurring her vision.

"Uncle Frank?" Sara mumbled into his shoulder, holding back the sobs stuck in her throat.

"Hush, Sara." He ordered as he suddenly veered off the trail and ducked behind a tree. Frank pulled her closer and petted her hair comfortingly. His thoughts whispered in her mind,_Everything's alright, baby doll. Don't you worry. I'm gonna float you up to that tree and you're gonna climb to the very tippy top. Danny'll come and keep you safe._

Danny? Not Danny. He always came home drunk, even though he was only nineteen. He was angry about his mother's death. For some reason, he always seemed to blame Sara for it. And besides that, what about Uncle Frank? Was he gonna stop the monster? No. No he couldn't. Everyone that tried left her. Left her all alone. No. Not Uncle Frank. Not him too. "I don't wanna leave you." Sara muttered in distress, clutching him closer.

_Shh, sweety. It's okay. Danny'll find you. He'll keep you safe; I promise._

"Danny doesn't like me!" Sara screeched. Clapping her hands over her mouth, both lapsed into silence. The footsteps behind them paused. Then they started running. "Uncle Frank!" Sara whispered, holding onto her mother's brother with all the strength in her small six-year-old body.

_Shh, baby doll. It's okay. I won't let him touch you. Danny will take care of you. He loves you just as much as I do, even if he doesn't show it as well._ A twig snapped just behind them. Sara whimpered. _Sara, you have to climb now. I love you, sweet pea. Be safe. Stay hidden until Danny finds you. Understand?_

Sara nodded, hysteric tears rising to her eyes. "I love you, Uncle Frankie."

Frank smiled compassionately. _I love you too, baby doll. Everything'll be okay. You'll see._

Sara bit her lip to hold back a scream as a mini tornado lifted her off the ground and up to the nearest tree branch. Changing into a small oriole, she flitted to the very top and changed back when she found a descent spot to hide in. It took too much energy to stay a bird.

She watched her uncle's figure as he stood up and disappeared into the distance. She nestled into the crook of the branches and pulled her knees to her chest. Tears rolled down her cheeks. _Please, if there is a God, keep my uncle Frank safe. Please._ A blast of wind blew through the trees suddenly. She could hear two men arguing back and forth, but she couldn't make out what they were saying. She scrambled to a break in the leaves and tried to see what was going on. A bright flash of silver glowed in the distance. Uncle Frank's aura was silver. Then a loud, strangled scream echoed throughout the trees.

"Uncle Frank!" Sara screamed. She almost flew to his location, but then remembered him ordering her to stay hidden until Danny found her. She bit her lip. No. Not Uncle Frankie. Please, no. A shadow appeared in the clearing below. Sara disappeared behind the leaves and pressed her hands to her mouth, suppressing a scream. It was the monster, the shadow.

"Come now, Sara. How much longer do we have to continue this game of hide and seek? You hid from me for two years, but did you really think it would last?" The shadow hollered in the darkness.

_No…I just hoped..._ Sara thought.

Sara's eyes peeled apart. How long had she been in that tree? Where was the shadow? Was he still there? Slowly, she forced her aching limbs to carry her to the break in the leaves. The shadow was gone. Thank God. Now could she go find Uncle Frank-?

"Sara!" Sara whimpered and dove back into cover. "Come on out, you little brat! The bastard's gone!" Little brat? Only one person called her that.

She crept to the edge of the branch and peered out. "D-Danny?" She called.

"No fucking duh, Sherlock! Get the fuck down here!"

Of course he's drunk. Sara sighed, changed into a bird and flew down next to Danny. "Danny?" She called when he didn't turn around.

Suddenly, he spun around and backhanded her across the face. Sara yelled in pain as a large welt appeared on her cheek and tears sprung to her eyes. Danny grabbed her arm and pulled her closer. "Where the fuck is my dad?" Danny demanded.

"I don't know!" Sara sobbed, the smell of alcohol on Danny's breath overwhelming her senses.

"He told me he would come pick me up at the bar! I got in an accident on the way home! What the hell happened?"

"The shadow, he…he came after us! Uncle Frank-" She screamed as Danny slapped her again.

"Don't call him your uncle, you bitch!" He screeched, eyes glowing dimly with insanity.

"I-I'm sorry…" Sara mumbled.

Danny scoffed. "You're useless. Come on, you're gonna help me find my dad." Danny dragged her away, Sara wondering if she would've been better off if Danny never found her.

"Brat, hurry up and get packed! You ain't makin' me miss my flight!" Danny roared.

Sara packed what little possessions she had into her small backpack. The only thing she needed to carry was her blanket that her mom gave her (thank God Danny let her keep it). "Danny, why can't I come with you?" Thought Danny was an abusive drunk, she still didn't want to be separated from her only family. Besides, she still didn't know who would be taking care of her. She hoped it was Ricky Coleman, Danny's friend. He did owe Danny a favor (for what, Sara didn't know), so maybe Danny would have him repay it through her?

"Cuz I don't need a spoiled brat slowing me down! Hurry up!"

Ever since Uncle Frank died, Danny traveled constantly, keeping his promise to his dad to taking care of her, trying to find some other relative to dump her on. Danny thought he found a trace of her father's uncle's cousin. Sara sighed and slung her backpack over her shoulder and followed her cousin out the door.

It was indeed Ricky Coleman, as she'd hoped. Ricky was the only one of Danny's friends that was halfway decent.

One day, Ricky received word that Danny had gone missing. So then he tried to get rid of her. That's when Sara found a guy named Dick Grayson. Though the how will remain undisclosed…for now. All you need know is that she became a hero, named the Oriole.

Robin

12:32 am

Gotham City

Ice Cube Club

Four Years Ago

"Hey Freeze, over here!" Freeze looked Robin's way. Robin was secretly holding an ice pellet in his gloved hand. "I think you need to chill!" He threw it at Freeze, who caught it and laughed.

"You think that using my own weapon against me will harm me?"

Robin shrugged. "Nope, just stalling."

There was a flash of purple just above Freeze, but he didn't seem to notice. Mr. Freeze laughed maniacally. "Can't you take care of yourself-?"

Then, a girl with jet black hair, porcelain skin and green eyes-wearing a dark purple costume similar to Robin's-landed on top of Freeze. Before anyone could react, fire lit in her hands and curled around her fingertips, and claws had grown where nails should be. Oriole sank her claws into Mr. Freeze's helmet and fire seeped in. Then she jumped off of the now unconscious villain, flipped in the air once, and landed gently on the cold, frozen ground, Freeze slumping to the ground behind her.

Robin smiled encouragingly at her as the hologram flickered and died, Freeze and the Ice Cube Club fading and being replaced with the Batcave. "Simulation terminated," a robotic voice chirped overhead. "Challenge passed." The bats took off into the night over head. As the lights faded, Oriole costume looked black instead of purple. Then again, that was the purpose. If they were true to an oriole's coloring, it would've been orange or yellow.

The computer chair turned towards them, revealing none other than the Dark Knight. Batman walked over to them, his face unreadable as usual.

He nodded to Oriole, "Good," Oriole beamed proudly, "for your first time." The pride quickly died in her eyes and was replaced with anger.

"What happened this time? The real Freeze would've never seen that coming." She argued.

Robin took her hand, squeezed it and smiled at her. "He's just being nitpicky, as usual. Don't worry about it, you were awesome!"

Bruce cleared his throat. Dick took a hint and sighed. "Fine, I'll go help Alf with the finger sandwiches or something."

He released her hand and went over to the elevator, before Oriole pulled him back and said, "No, you're staying here." She smiled and added with her thoughts,_ Please stay. I need you to protect me from tall, dark and brooding over here._

He thought his response as she'd taught him, _"Sorry, Sara. You got into this mess, you have to dig yourself out._

She pouted and muttered out loud, "Fine."

Bruce pulled down his cowl. Oriole and Robin followed suit and took off their masks. Sara's was a little more open than Dick's. Literally. Basically, it just covered the area around her eyes, unlike Dick's whose mask was opaque. Dick laid his on a nearby silver cart, alongside his folded pile of street clothes, and headed back to the elevator. He almost laughed as he saw Bruce and Sara already arguing through the window. The computer scanned him and after a moment, the doors slid closed and took him up to Wayne Manor. Meanwhile, Sara and Bruce started arguing about how that much heat could've killed the real Mr. Freeze and how Sara didn't "give a damn if that maniac died."

Dick sighed.

_Come on!_ He jumped at Sara's thoughts in his head. _You gotta help me out here! You can't say that Freeze doesn't deserve to die._

_ Even if he does, is that really up to you?_ He snapped.

"-Richard? Master Dick, are you quite alright?" Dick snapped back into reality and looked up at Alfred.

"Sorry, Alfred. It's hard to have a psychic conversation and move at the same time."

_Wuss._ Sara teased. _Mind telling Alf to come down and distract Bruce?_

_No. You need to talk to Bruce about this. Just because you killed people doesn't mean you can as a hero. It's not right._

_ But…ugh, you're no help._ Just like that, she pulled out of his mind.

"I don't appreciate when she does that myself." Alfred grumbled.

Dick shrugged. "She's got a lot to learn. But if how fast she picked up fighting with bo-staffs are any inclination, she's a fast learner."

"I hope so. If not, she and Master Bruce are going to have many fights in the future."

"-not up to you, Sara!" Bruce's voice boomed from downstairs.

Dick shuddered. "I just hope she doesn't roast him."

"Or put him in a coma." Alfred added mildly, retreating back to the entryway.

"But hey, at least she can heal him right?"

Alfred chuckled. "I suppose so."

The door slammed to Sara's room, just across the hall from Dick's bedroom. She screamed into her pillow. Dick got to his feet and walked over to her door. When he knocked, Sara yelled, "Go away!"

"It's just me." Dick called.

There was a pause. Then footsteps padded on the wooden floor and Sara opened the door. "What?" She demanded.

"Just checking on you. Bruce chewed you out huh?"

"You know what he called me? He called me a cowardly little girl who had to depend on my powers to save me. Ugh! I hate him!" She stomped back into her room and plopped down onto her bed.

"You know," Dick replied, easing the door shut. He sat down beside her and continued, "I used to think that too. But then I realized that if not for him, I'd be an orphan in a delinquency joint. Now I have a permanent home, top of my class at a private school and I kick bad guy butt every time I'm mad at something. He's not so bad once ya' get used to him."

"That's kinda hard when he's never around."

"Maybe. But you know, he's really just trying to help. I mean, how many times have you had nightmares about the people you've killed?"

"On accident!" She defended.

"I know, I know. But you see? You say that you don't care about killing criminals, but you know that you'll just add to your nightmares. He's just trying to help."

Sara sighed. "Yeah, but he could do that without yelling."

"Could he?" When she glared at him, he added, "Sorry to say, but you're not exactly the listening type, Sair."

She snorted. "What's your point?"

"My point is that maybe he yells at you because you're a little too headstrong."

She opened her mouth to protest, then closed it again. "Yeah…maybe." At Dick's look, she added, "Alright, fine! I'm stubborn as an ox sometimes. Maybe instead of a kitty cat, I should be able to turn into a donkey."

"But then you'd really be an ass."

Sara shoved his arm. "Shut up!"

Dick laughed so hard that eventually, Sara joined in.

Oriole

12:30 am

Gotham City, New York

Wayne Manor

Three Years Ago

Sara Thompson hated being sick. You think that being able to sneeze flames would be cool right? Think again. And now she was benched! And she wasn't even that sick! So, she thought she'd be happy when Bruce and Dick came home. After all, then she would have something better to do than sipping down some hot cocoa or Alfred's homemade chicken noodle soup and trying not to burn the carpet. On the other hand, she was more excited for Dick to come home. Needless to say that Mr. Tall, Dark and Brooding wasn't exactly the best company.

So when she heard Alfred greet Dick downstairs, she smiled to herself, carefully set Alfred's chicken noodle soup on the bedside table, slid out of bed and into a pair of slippers, and raced downstairs. Just in time to see Dick slam his bedroom door shut so hard that it broke off the door handle. Startled she glanced at Alfred, who was standing at the bottom of the stairs. Alfred motioned for her to go after him, and to hurry!

Sara knocked hesitantly. "Dick?"

"What!" He snarled.

Picturing a mad dog foaming at the mouth, she answered a little hesistantly, "It's Sara."

There was a pause. Finally Dick growled, "Fine come in."

_Yup, definitely rabbies, _Sara thought as she entered the den of the roaring dragon. Dick's suitcase was open on his bed. He crouched next to his closet, throwing random junk into the suitcase.

"Going somewhere?" Sara asked in a small voice.

"Leaving. And you should too. He's insane! And just…UGH!" He grumbled as he packed a pile of shirts into his suitcase.

She didn't have to ask who "he" was. With a sigh, she asked, "What did he do now?" When Dick didn't respond, she sighed. "You know if you don't tell me I'll just read your mind and find out the hard way." Again, Dick said nothing. Sara sighed. Her bright green irises glowed a brilliant emerald green. She saw Bruce and Dick arguing back and forth about…Whoa, hold up! Did Bruce tell Dick that he couldn't be Robin anymore? Snapping out of Dick's thoughts (which were hard to navigate through due to his anger), her eyes widened in shock. "He didn't! He can't! He has no right!"

"Yeah well he did. Look I'm telling you Sair, next thing you know, you're next. He'll be taking away your cape too. And God knows you need the mask more than I do." Dick zipped his suitcase shut and swung another bag he packed full of weapons (bird-a-rangs, explosive disks, bo-staffs, etc.) over his shoulder. He took Sara's hand and squeezed gently. "Come with me. There's a whole world out there, probably ten times better than Gotham City. Let's just go."

"We can't just leave Bruce alone. He needs us!"

"He has Alfred. He'll be fine." Dick growled.

Sara shook her head. "I don't think you realize how much you helped him, Di. Come on, he probably just overreacted. Don't leave after one fight."

"Are you blind! He's been thinking about saying that ever since that thing with Two-Face."

Sara winced at the memory."Can you blame him?"

"Are you siding with him?"

"I'm not siding with anyone!" Sara snapped defensively. "I'm trying to be the only reasonable one around this place. Honestly, me and Alfie are always the mediators around here."

"You can't say you haven't argued with him!"

"I'm not saying that I haven't. I'm saying it doesn't happen nearly as often."

Dick scowled at her. "Are you coming or not?"

Sara stared at him, her mouth slightly open in shock. After all that, he was still so fixed on leaving?

After a while, Dick growled to himself and brushed past her, stomping down the stairs. Only when she heard his motorcycle rev downstairs did she snap out of it. She slid down the banister, to Alfred's dismay, and ran down to the Bat Cave. Batman, his cowl hanging around his neck, was typing on the computer as the last remnants of motorcycle fumes cleared out of the Cave as if nothing had happened.

Sara's eyes narrowed at Bruce. "How could you just sit there?"

Bruce ignored her. Sara scowled. She pulled his computer chair back away from the computer and leaned over him menacingly. "Dick just left, you machine! Why didn't you stop him?"

Bruce glared at her. "It's his decision," was all he said. He stood and stepped around her towards the changing area. Sara stopped him.

"For once in your life, will you just talk to me!" Sara screamed, her pupils suddenly swallowing her iris. "What the hell happened? Why was Dick so mad? Why did you let him just run away!"

Bruce yanked his arm out of her grip. "I told you; it's his decision. He didn't like what I said, so he left."

"Well what did you say?" Sara demanded.

Bruce's eyes narrowed. He growled under his breath, "I don't have to explain myself to anyone. Least of all, you." Bruce disappeared behind the door to the changing room.

The girl huffed angrily. She stuck her tongue out at the door. "Or you're just a pain in the ass."Sara hurried back upstairs to consult Alfred. "You think he'll be alright?"

"I'm sure he will, Miss Sara. Dick can take care of himself."

**Author's Note: **We're going to find out how much of a pain her abilities can be. And how well "Dick can take care of himself." Tune in next week! Oh, and don't be afraid of chopping this up. Like I said, I want this to be as perfect as it can be. Don't feel bad if you think you're being mean, I won't hold it against you ;) See you all later! Godspeed (whatever that means).


	2. Chapter 1: New Beginnings

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Teen Titans.

**Author's Note:** Whoa! Eight pages! I lengthened this to eight pages? Holy cow. Okay, well we're off to a great start with this redo. Enjoy!

Oriole

Chapter 1: New Beginnings

BB

3:00 pm

Jump City, California

Titans Tower

"Watch out!" Cyborg shouted.

Beast Boy changed into a sparrow and took off into the sky just as a huge glob of disgusting goo splashed on the pavement behind him.

Robin threw freezing disks at Plasmus' chest. The monster screeched in that wet sounding voice of his as the sludge that was his body started to freeze. Starfire shot a starbolt at Plasmus' now frozen chest. It burst into a million pieces. Raven caught the unconscious man in an energy force field and trapped him inside just as he was starting to become Plasmus once more. She opened a small vent where Robin could toss in an exploding disk. Pinkish goo splattered the force bubble, causing everyone to flinch, fearing they would get covered in the horrifying smell. Raven released Plasmus, who was now just a meek looking man, sleeping calmly.

"Eugh," Beast Boy shuddered, poking at a puddle of the sewage with his toe, "Every time we fight Plasmus, I feel like I need a bath."

Everyone nodded in agreement. A loud grumbling sound sounded from the group. Cyborg clutched his stomach. "I don't know 'bout y'all but I'm starving. I'm up for some lunch."

"Pizza anyone?" Beast Boy suggested, his own belly growling at the mention of food.

"Yes, let us consume the pizza!" Starfire crowed cheerfully, flying off to the street corner, where the T-Car was parked.

"I'll drive!" Beast Boy called as he ran to the car.

"Don't even thinking about getting your green butt anywhere near my baby's steering wheel!" Cyborg sprinted after him.

Robin and Raven followed at a much slower pace, as usual.

"Good work, Raven." Robin complimented.

Raven shrugged. "It's kind of funny. In the beginning, Plasmus would've taken extensive planning to stop. But now it's like it's natural."

Robin laughed. "There is nothing about that smell that's natural."

A shy grin twitched on Raven's lips.

That's when a cell phone rang. Beast Boy's ears perked up. It was coming from Robin. "Dude, since when do you have a phone?"

Robin pulled a cell phone out of his utility belt. "What's wrong with having a cell?" His eyes widened as he read the number ID. "Hello?" Beast Boy's ears strained to hear the other person on the phone. All he could make out was a voice. A woman's voice. Robin plugged one ear with a finger and turned away. "Look, this isn't the best time." He paused, listening for a moment. "You're where?" Another pause. "Why?" Very brief pause. "Whoa, whoa, slow down. What do you mean he's trying to protect you? Protect you from what?" He listened, stress lines more prominent in his expression. "Look, stay there. Don't draw any attention."

Beast Boy got in the car, pretending he hadn't heard any of it.

"Robin?" Starfire called from the back.

He looked up from his cell, pasting on a misleadingly calm face. "You guys go ahead. I wanna… head back to the tower and enter this in the files." The pause was short, short enough to convince the others, but Beast Boy heard the hesitation. What was he really up to?

After everyone ordered their drinks, Beast Boy leaned in conspiringly. "Anyone curious about who Robin was talking to on his phone?"

"Let it go, man. Rob has secrets. So what?" Cyborg said.

"You listened in didn't you?" Raven accused.

"You should not have dropped the eaves on Robin's conversation."

"It's eavesdropped, Star." Cyborg corrected gently.

"Yeah, I did. Aren't any of you interested about who he was talking to?"

"No-" Raven began but Beast Boy talked over her.

"It was some kind of girl. I'm thinking it was Batgirl. I mean, Robin was pretty close to her before he left Gotham City."

This got Starfire's attention, as he knew it would. "Was he?"

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure she's his ex or something. But anyway, I think he said something about protection. Like someone wanted to protect her. He told her to stay where she was and not draw any attention to herself."

"That is most cryptic." Starfire murmured.

"Knock it off, B. You weren't supposed to hear the conversation at all."

"You probably got all the facts wrong too." Raven added.

Beast Boy slumped back in his seat, knowing when he was beaten. But throughout the entire meal, Beast Boy's thoughts were on the woman Robin was talking to.

They returned to Titans Tower with a pizza for Robin. Beast Boy didn't even suspect Robin would be home. The others thought he'd be locked away in his room or in the archives. But all four were wrong. Instead, Robin was relaxing on the couch watching TV.

"Robin, we have come with the leftovers. Do you wish to partake-?"

"No thanks." He called over his shoulder casually.

_Oh he's good._ Beast Boy thought.

Starfire floated over to the fridge and stuck the pizza box inside. _Sweet! Cold pizza for a midnight snack!_ She went over to Robin and kissed him. Robin smiled. "Welcome home." And they kissed again.

Beast Boy really wished he didn't have such sensitive hearing. Blech! He was just about to shout something like get a room when, "Oh Robin, she is adorable!" Starfire's hands disappeared to the couch beside Robin and they reappeared clutching a small black kitten. "Hello, my little bumgorf! It is your knorfka, Starfire, speaking." The kitten mewed and licked Starfire's cheek as she hugged it close to her face.

"Dude! Where'd you find her?" Beast Boy asked. He swiped the small animal from Starfire's hands and set her down on the floor. He morphed into a cat and said, "Hi! I'm Beast Boy. What's your name?"

She mewed, "Hello. My name is Sara." She sniffed him. "You smell odd. Not exactly like a human, but close enough. Are you a human?"

Beast Boy changed back before her curiosity killed the cat.

Robin replied when Beast Boy returned to his human form. "She was down by the island shore, fishing."

"And you really think that she's staying here?" Cyborg asked, looking at the cat like she was a maggot.

"Why not?"

"I'm allergic to cats, man!"

The kitten padded over to Robin and mewed softly at his feet. He bent down to scoop her up. Sara crawled up his chest to settle on his shoulders, her tail poised high in the air for balance.

Beast Boy gaped. "She must really like you." He'd never seen a cat do that before. Ever.

Robin laughed nervously. "I guess a little bit of tuna goes a long way." Then, Beast Boy heard him hiss at Sara, "Act more like a cat!"

Robin

4:30 pm

Jump City, California

Titans Tower

_I can't believe she's acting so…human! Doesn't she even know what cats are supposed to be like?_ He thought to himself angrily. Desperately, Robin hissed at her, "Act more like a cat!"

A familiar presence entered his mind and whispered in its familiar voice, _When am I actually going to get to meet your team, Ro? And why all the secrecy?_

"Just not now." He murmured back.

_Fine, don't tell me._ A pause. _Is it because Beast Boy is such a fanboy?_ They both looked over at Starfire and Beast Boy, who had both already convinced Cyborg to let her stay. Raven, as usual, rolled her eyes and plopped down at the kitchen table to read. Beast Boy and Starfire were arguing about names for Star's "little bumgorf". _What does bumgorf mean anyway?_ Sara asked, her bright green eyes turning back to Robin. _And why didn't you tell me that Cyborg was allergic to cats? I could've turned into a wolf instead. _With an amused purr, she added, _Or a tigress. _

He shrugged. And immediately winced when Sara dug her claws in to keep her balance.

_Sorry; you shouldn't wiggle around like that. We _will_ continue this conversation later right? _She asked, flicking her tail to touch the tip of his nose.

Robin knocked Sara's tail away and muttered, "Yes! Now get over there and be a good little kitty."

Sara sunk her claws in deep just before she jumped to the ground. _Oops._ Sarcasm oozed from her thoughts. She padded over to the small group and curled around Starfire's legs, purring loudly to announce her arrival.

"Hello, my little bumgorf!" Starfire petted Sara's back and picked her up. "Your knorfka wishes to know your name, small one."

"I told you already!" Beast Boy countered. "She told me her name is Sara!"

"But that is a human name." Starfire reasoned. "Do cats name their offspring after humans?"

Beast Boy looked like he was starting to have doubts. Hurriedly, Robin stuttered, "Uh, I already named her Sara. Yeah, I've always liked that name. I thought it suit her."

Starfire and Beast Boy considered this, then Starfire said, "Very well. Her name is Sara."

_Nice save._ Sara sniggered. _Might as well have told them that I'm Oriole._

Robin drew a zipper over his lips, silently telling her to shut up.

Her laugh echoed in the back of his mind. _You can just think whatever you want to say. I'll hear it fine. You think kinda loud ya' know. _

_ Funny. How's this for you? SHUT UP!_

Sara meowed in surprise and clapped her paws to her ears. She glowered at him. _That was just plain mean. _

_ It's your own fault._

Sara meowed at Beast Boy's feet. The changeling picked her up and scratched her behind her ears. Sara purred.

_Sorry to interrupt, but we need to talk._ Robin thought.

Sara looked up at him. _Okay. Let's talk right now._ She swiped a paw at Beast Boy's ear playfully. He set her down and changed into a cat himself. Then he let out a challenging mew and tackled Sara to the ground. Sara jumped to her paws and jumped onto Beast Boy's back. Beast Boy rolled and leaped on top of her. He licked her ear, she batted his; it was all just playful fun.

_Not here. Somewhere discreet._ Robin thought impatiently.

Sara looked up at him and rolled onto her stomach. Her ears twitched._Why all the secrecy? Just tell your team._

Starfire scooped Sara into her arms and scolded BB. "Beast Boy, do not attack our new kitten." As the two argued with each other, Sara dropped to the floor and padded over to Raven, mewing softly to get her attention. Raven paid her no heed.

_ Not yet. We already talked about this! No one was expecting visitors. And I don't know if you're staying, so-_

_ Why wouldn't I be staying? _Sara stopped trying to get Raven's attention and glared at him. _Are _you_ sending me away too?_

_ No. I just don't know if this is the best place for you to be discreet. I mean, it is a giant T._

_ Relax. They're after Sara Thompson, not Oriole. And no one knows that I'm here. The press doesn't even know I left Gotham. So hopefully-_

_ No one else does either._ Robin finished for her. He was also wondering who exactly "they" were, but he focused on the matter at hand. _Alright fine, but we still need to talk first. I want to know exactly what's going on before I introduce you to the team._

_Fine. _He felt the hesitancy behind her thoughts. She was hiding something. It wasn't that he didn't want to tell the team about Sara. It was just that whenever she kept secrets from him, bad news wasn't far behind. Sara's thoughts interrupted him. _So what's the plan to slip away?_

_ Follow my lead._ "Well, if she's staying for a while," Robin began.

"She will be staying for as long as she can, yes?" Starfire asked hopefully.

"I think so. So we should get some cat food for her or something."

_That's not gonna fly with fanboy over there._ Sara predicted.

Sure enough, Beast Boy protested, "But cat food tastes terrible! Even to a cat!"

Raven couldn't resist teasing Beast Boy. "You've actually tried it?" Beast Boy threw her a dirty look, but Raven's attention was on the small black kitten licking Beast Boy's thumb as he stroked her. Raven's eyes flicked to Robin, who felt sweat beginning to run down his neck. Of all people, he expected Raven to figure out that their new pet wasn't exactly a cat. "Do you want someone to go with you to the store?" Her voice sounded casual enough, but Robin knew her well enough by now to know that looks were deceiving.

"Just give her some fish or something. Seriously, don't bother with cat food." Beast Boy advised. Well, there goes his escape plan.

_Stop acting like you're doing something wrong. You'll give me away._ Which was what she wanted.

_Not acting. Keeping secrets from my team isn't exactly the right thing to do._

_ So tell the team!_

Robin changed the subject. _How are you supposed to get out of here? They won't take their eyes off you for a second._

_ Tell them you're going to look at some files or something. _

_ Good idea._ Robin turned and headed for the door, Sara on his heels. "Robin, to where are you going?" Starfire wondered.

When he paused, Sara rubbed against his leg and mewed sweetly. "Just gonna looked over some notes." He scooped up Sara, scratched her behind the ears and continued out of the common room.

The door slid shut with a hiss behind them. _Okay, I'm gonna meet you at Wayne Enterprises. And by the way, don't scratch my ears! That tickles!_

_ Why there?_ He moaned. The company's security cameras would be able to see them. They'd updated their security since the last time he was there. And besides, he and that particular branch of Bruce's company didn't have a very good background. He wondered if Bruce told Sara about his little…visit there. Maybe that's why she wanted to talk there? To confront him about it? He quickly snuffed out that thought. Every time he even thought about his "apprenticeship", all sorts of dark thoughts sent shivers down his spine. Aside from that, Sara would know the moment he thought about Slade.

_I don't know. I guess I feel safer there. If something happens to us, Bruce will be the first to know._

Phew, not about Slade. _Nothing will happen to us there._ He consoled her.

Sara's tail twitched. _I'm not so sure about that. And once you hear what I have to say, you might agree with me. Now go change. I'll meet you there._

_ Okay, see ya'. _He started off for his room when he thought of something. _You're not gonna transform in the middle of a street, are you?_

_Well I was thinking about it. _ She snapped sarcastically. _How stupid do you think I am?_ She bounced down the stairs, tail bobbing out of sight. Robin swore that it was flicking with annoyance.

_Well, we're off to see the Wizard._ Robin thought, holding back a groan. He didn't want to go to Wayne Enterprises. Not one bit.

He jumped at another, more feminine groan. Then he realized that it was Sara, in his mind again. _Tell me you didn't just think of a __Wizard of Oz__ pun._

Robin sniggered. _Wuss puss._

_ Am not! Not even a cat anymore!_

_ Still a wuss._

_ Jerk._

_ Freak. _

_ Ugh, I'll see you later._ With that, she was gone.

**Author's Note: **Did anyone laugh a little at the normalcy of this last argument? Honestly, they sound like the generic siblings. I love it! Review please!


	3. Chapter 2: Brother and Sister

**Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans!**

**Author's Note: **Alright, so now we get down the bottom of just why exactly Oriole is in Jump City. Hope she has a good reason. Edited! REVIEW PLEASE!

Oriole

Chapter 2: Brother and Sister

Oriole

3:48 pm

Jump City, California

Outside Wayne Enterprises

Sara Thompson leaned against the fence of Wayne Enterprises, feeling the bumps and coils of the metal pressing against her back. She kept her eyes peeled for Dick Grayson. Wearing a dark black hoodie and dark jeans, the heat would have felt like pure agony to anyone else. But Sara could control fire and, by extension, heat. She'd never felt the sensation of heat before. She knew when something was cold, but not when something was hot. The humidity is what got to her. Living next to an ocean with 70 to 80 degrees in wet air as a constant? She would never understand the allure of a place that reminded her of a sauna.

Her iPod was on full volume as she tried to blot out the thoughts and feelings of the bustling city. True, she could just tune them all out, but something was bothering her. There were two more telepathic people within city limits, not including herself. If one was one of Dick's friends, Raven, then who was the other? She kept her mind cautiously open, curious about who number three was.

Randomly, she began thinking of the last time she'd been in Jump. It was three years ago, almost as long as she'd been with the Bat team. Bruce took them along when he went to open the Jump City branch of Wayne Enterprises. While Sara had been excited, Dick mostly moped. He hated having to give up Robin, even if for a little while. "The worst part," he'd said, "is that the trip lasts a whole week! I can't stand it! Why didn't we just stay in Gotham?" Sara's retort was that he needed a vacation so bad there were bags under his eyes.

It was later revealed that Bruce found out that Luthor was planning to ship some kind of microwave emitter, a version of the one Ra's al Ghul had once tried to use against Gotham, hidden by all the attention the new Wayne Enterprises was getting by the press and corporate flunkies. The reason Bruce took them along was because Luthor already had the device. And Bruce wanted Oriole, being able to control fire, to disrupt the emitter long enough for Batman and Robin to either destroy it or shut it down.

Things had been so simple then. Bruce never threatened to make either Dick or Sara hang up the cape. Dick hadn't been so angry at their mentor all the time. A flash of black and gold caught her attention. Why hadn't Dick changed? Oh wait, that's right, Dick never told the Titans his secret ID. Waiting for Dick to change into street clothes, she thought of all the times she'd seen Dick in Gotham after he'd moved to Jump City. Every single time, she suppressed a groan and waited for the cat fight between the two most important men in her life. At least this time she could talk to him without being afraid of Bruce walking in and instantly darkening Dick's mood. On the other hand, the reason she was in Jump City in the first place might do that too. As the song began to end, she heard a faint grunt and feet touching to the ground behind her. She looked back to see Dick in the alleyway.

"Hey D."

"Hi Sair. It's been a while." The fence curved at Dick's weight, making Sara slide closer to him until they were touching. Neither seemed to notice. "So, now that we can talk normally," Sara rolled her eyes. She loved how he always highlighted normal whenever she used her telepathic powers. He made her feel like a freak. But what he really meant was that he hated telepathy (which was understandable, considering how he insisted on having a secret identity.) "You wanna explain just what the hell is going on?"

Sara started at his language. This was one of the few times she ever heard him swear. Okay, true, it was just hell but still…since when had he become so bitter? Where was her little brother? The clown of the group, the witty comments, the teasing Bruce about booty shorts; all of it seemed to have disappeared, like he was an entirely different person now. Where was the Dick Grayson she knew? Most of the time she blamed Dick's questionable behavior on his fight with Bruce, but now she wasn't so sure. Something was off. Something he was hiding. She'd sensed it while they were in a psychic link at the Tower but-

"Earth to Sara!"

She snapped out of her internal monologue and shook her head. "Huh? What?"

"Why are you here?" He shot an accusatory glare at her, like she was being interrogated or something.

A smile nervously twitched on her lips as she tried to keep sweat from rolling down her face. "Can't I just p-pay a visit to the little brother I've m-missed so much? Besides, I w-wanted to meet your team." Darn it! Stupid stuttering.

He cocked an eyebrow. He knew she was lying. "Why all the secrecy then? …And I thought we figured out that I'm older!"

Sara giggled. "But you're still shorter!"

With a scowl, he said, "Oh shut up.

She chuckled, smile and laugh fading as she thought of the true reason she was back in Jump City. The truly terrifying question was how to tell D the truth without worrying him too much. Not finding any good solution, she sighed and told him, "Assassins have been coming after me for the past four days. Me, not Oriole. B thought it would be best to get me out of the city for a while."

"Any suspects?" Seriously? That was his reaction to assassins trying to kill her? Then again she did wear a target on her chest half the time.

"The only viable one is al Ghul, but what he would want with me is still kinda iffy." _Or it could've been Ricky. _Sara thought darkly.

"I thought Ra's was in Europe or something? Either it's Talia or Bruce is lying."

"What do you mean? It's possible."

"But Bruce knows Ra's better than that." Something was on his mind, but he didn't share it. Instead he asked, "Why are the assassins after you?"

"I don't know. That's what Bruce is trying to figure out. Nothing yet. He said he'd call one of us the moment he found something."

"I'm sure." Dick said sarcastically. "Or he'd think that you couldn't handle the reason and left you in the dark." A tense pause fell in between them. Finally, Dick asked, "Have you heard from him yet?"

"No, not since his cheery send-off at the Cave." The last bit was practically dripping with sarcasm.

Dick didn't miss it and tried to hold back a grin. "Have a fun pep-talk?"

Sara groaned. "He said things like "try not to get noticed" and "don't do anything unusually stupid", highlighting the unusually part, and, the worst, "don't be too much of a burden to Dick." I mean come on!"

Dick laughed so hard that it was impossible for Sara to resist joining in. Then Dick's Teen Titans communicator rang in his pocket, a cute nine-note tune that was probably customized by the Titans.

According to a read out on the screen, Slade (whoever that was) decided to show his ugly face in Jump City. But Sara sensed that there was more, a lot more, to this that it seemed. Shock and hatred rolled off of Dick in waves, and he didn't try to hide any of it. His jaw set, every muscle in his body tensing. His usually fun-loving blue eyes seemed to turn gray with raw, unbridled hate. Just who was Slade and what happened between him and D to make him hate the guy so much?

Robin

4:00 pm

Jump City, California

Wayne Enterprises

Why now? Why did Slade have to come back while Sara was in town? A disturbing thought came to his mind. What if Slade was here because of Sara? What if he wanted to collect on the hit out on her? No time to think about that now. Time to go. "Sara, go back to the Tower." Dick commanded in a no-nonsense voice.

"And if I don't want to?" She snapped just as he was about to scramble up onto the rooftop to change. She appeared at the mouth of the alley, hands crossed over her chest stubbornly. Dick glared at her. He'd almost forgotten how pigheaded she could be sometimes. "Come on, D! That'd be the best way to introduce myself. Kick that guy's butt so that your team can see how a pro does it."

No. Hell no. She didn't know how dangerous Slade was. And if he was after Sara, the furthest she stayed away from that fight the better. "No, now go home." He snapped. He heard Sara huff angrily and footsteps retreating down the alley and out of range. He just hoped she'd listen. It actually was a good idea…if it wasn't Slade. Maybe another criminal (one was bound to pop up soon enough), but not Slade. Not now, not ever.

Robin spun around and kicked at Slade's head. But, as usual, Slade blocked, caught his leg ad threw him into Cyborg with ease. Instead of stalking over to him and trying to take the others out of play, it was like Slade avoided him and was aiming for the others. After three years of fighting him and that whole deal with Trigon, Robin thought he figured out at least Slade's thought process but this new attitude was a complete controversy to what he thought he knew about Slade. Something was up.

Robin didn't believe in coincidences. Usually, he was always right. Both Oriole and Slade coming back into his life wasn't a coincidence. There was more to the story that Sara wasn't telling him. And he intended to find out.

Robin scrambled off of Cyborg and helped him up. "You okay, man?" Cyborg wasn't just asking about the fall.

"Something's up. He's not even trying to win. Like he's stalling or something. Keep your eyes open." With that, Robin yelled, "Star, Raven, corkscrew now!"

The two girls nodded and took off into the sky. Then, taking each other's hands, they shot a corkscrew of starbolts and dark energy at Slade. As Robin knew he would, Slade dodged it easily. However, he failed to notice Robin hiding on the overhang above him. Robin shot out two bird-a-rangs while Cyborg had his sonic cannon trained on Slade.

But Slade was ready for them. He evaded the bird-a-rangs and leaped up to the overhang. Caught by surprise, grabbing Robin in a chokehold must have been a cinch. "Always good to see you, Robin. But I'm disappointed. You've gotten soft while I was away. Don't worry. We'll change that." He hissed in that tantalizing voice that always sent a shiver down Robin's spine. His days as Slade's apprentice flashed in his mind, so real that he could almost feel the scratching of the suit he wore all those years ago. Robin struggled, but Slade just held on tighter.

Out of the corner of his eye, Robin saw a flash of black fur. Beast Boy? But BB was green…oh no. Something growled and gnashed its teeth. Loud barks barraged his ears. Slade grunted in pain as white fangs sank into his shoulder and tore him away from Robin. Robin fell to the ground, rubbing his neck. Slade grunted as he hit the ground hard, his chest showing through gashes in his suit.

A black wolf stood in front of him, its dark tail swishing against Robin's nose, hackles raised and ears pressed against its head. The wolf pulled its lips back in a snarl. A low growl resounded in its chest.

"Who's that?" Beast Boy called to his right, curiosity glittering in his eyes.

"Whoever it is, looks like it's on our side." Cyborg answered.

The wolf looked over at the Titans, who were now all steadily closing in on Slade. Looking satisfied, hackles slowly flattening, it turned to Robin. The wolf transformed into Oriole.

Oriole wore a costume very similar to Robin's, but she'd made modifications to it since the last time he'd seen her. For example, it was more low cut. And it looked like it was a deeper purple. She wore her hair in a ponytail now instead of a braid. The inside of her cape and her belt were a dark shade of gray instead of bright yellow like Robin's and she'd lost the flamboyantly colored purple boots and traded them out with black running shoes. All in all, she'd taken color fashion lessons from Bruce.

She smiled and offered Robin her hand. He shoved it aside and pulled himself up. He walked over to Slade cautiously. After all, with Slade, who ever knew what hidden tricks he had up his sleeve. "It's over, Slade." Robin growled.

But Slade wasn't looking at him. "Now now, Robin. Who taught you your manners? Batman wouldn't like for you to forget them now would he? You haven't introduced me to the new girl." At the mention of Batman, Robin's expression darkened. What did he know?

"Name's Oriole." Oriole said behind him, coming to Robin's side. _What's wrong with you? Aren't you paying attention?_

Robin didn't dignify the question with an answer. If Slade was so interested in Oriole, that would confirm his suspicion.

"After the bird, I imagine." Slade replied conversationally.

The hairs on the back of Robin's neck rose. Something was wrong here. Very wrong. "Don't say anything." He told Oriole. Slade wasn't the type to take contracts from obviously unexperienced assassins. If they were experienced, Sara would've been attacked more than once by now. Besides, they probably would've tracked her back to Jump…Wait…that's it! "Oriole, get back to the Tower. Now!" He barked, the urgency in his voice seeming to have an effect on her.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"I'll explain later. Star, BB, get her back to the Tower." When they didn't move, either from shock or stubbornness, he ordered, "Now!" Immediately, Starfire flew over to Oriole and ushered her away. Oriole changed into her bird form and followed Starfire and Beast Boy-hawk.

Slade tsked at him. "Do you really think that your Tower will stop me, Robin?" He chuckled. "Even if you do save her today, you can't protect her forever. I've worked too hard on this for you to stop me." Robin tore off Slade's mask, only to find clockwork and a computer screen. There was just enough light to see Slade's single eye glaring at him. "You can't protect her forever. Sooner or later, she'll become irritated with the house arrest routine. Then she'll be reckless. When that happens, the girl's as good as dead. It's only a matter of time. Oh, and speaking of time…" The number five appeared on screen. Then four. Three.

"Move!" Robin ordered, leaping away from the Sladebot.

Cyborg

4:30 pm

Jump City

The Warehouse

"Are you serious, man?" Cyborg yelled at his leader, fury boiling up so that he half expected steam to come out of his ears. "How long has Oriole been here? Why didn't you tell us!"

Raven and Robin stood next to each other, Raven seeming only mildly interested in the argument. Cyborg was across from them, his metal fists balled in anger. How many times would Robin keep something important from them? It was like Red X all over again.

"I'll explain everything back at the Tower, okay? If Slade is after Oriole, I have to make sure that she's okay." Robin looked genuinely worried and stressed, but at that point, Cyborg didn't much care. Oriole would be fine with Star and BB.

"No! What's it gonna take for you to trust us, huh?"

"It's not that I don't trust you. I just wanted to know what was going on before I told you all, that's all! She came unexpectedly. That's why I left the Tower, to find out what was going on. I promise, I'll explain everything at the Tower, but I need to know that Oriole's alright." With a slight grin, Robin added, "And we should probably get there before Beast Boy has her autographing something."

Cyborg sighed. "Fine." In thought, he added, _For now._

BB

4:35 pm

Jump City

Titans Tower

Beast Boy was having the fan boy moment of his life! It was the Oriole! He spluttered out a welcome with Starfire. He was slightly amazed that Oriole looked so normal (after all, Beast Boy was green and had fangs), but then he noticed her canine teeth looked more like fangs than teeth.

Starfire asked, "So you are called the Oriole? And Slade said something about a bird?"

Beast Boy was mortified. How could she not know about Oriole? "What! You've never heard of the Oriole? Come on, we've lived with her brother for three years and you don't even know about her?"

"We're not exactly-" Oriole began.

"Do you have the same eye color as Robin?" Star asked, leaning in closer. She would be interested in that. Beast Boy looked closer at her mask and noticed that, unlike Robin, the eyeholes of her mask weren't opaque. They were open and revealed brilliant green eyes.

Oriole looked a little uncomfortable. She took a step away from Starfire and cleared her throat. "Uh…I can't really answer that without revealing something about Ro. And obviously he hasn't told you who he is, or you would know the answer to that question.

Just as Starfire opened her mouth, the other three Titans came in and, almost immediately, Cyborg plopped down on the couch and folded his arms across his chest. "Explain." Cy demanded. The rest of the Titans and Oriole joined him on the couch, while Robin remained standing.

He hardly paid attention to Robin's explanation as to why she was here, but then he heard the word "assassins" and BB snapped out of his fan boy attitude and yelped, "What assassins?"

Everyone groaned in response. Raven whapped him on the head and Oriole giggled. Robin explained patiently, "Assassins have been after Oriole for about a week. Batman thought that she should get out of Gotham for a little while. She's the cat that's been hanging around here." Beast Boy felt like face palming. That would explain the odd scent he smelled on the kitten. "I didn't want to introduce her to you guys until I knew what was going on, since she told me that she was supposed to keep a low profile. In other words, she's not leaving the Tower until-"

Oriole's head perked up. "I never agreed to that! You can't just-!"

"What did Batman say?" Robin snapped. BB was amazed that Robin was actually talking about Batman. Three years without a single mention of the guy and now he was lecturing Oriole about him?

She seemed to shrink at his words, like a little kid being scolded. Then she folded her arms over her chest. "I'm not just gonna sit here."

"Someone wants to kill you!"

"So? Lots of people want to kill me. That's never stopped me."

"Slade isn't like normal criminals, Oriole. You're not leaving the Tower until all this is over." His voice contained the finality. The Titans began to disperse, knowing that you don't mess with Robin when he used that voice.

But Oriole stood up and glared at him. "What's happened to you? You're not the Robin I remember."

"I'm trying to protect you, Oriole. Slade is dangerous."

Oriole threw up her hands in agitation."And now we see the core of the problem. What, you think I can't handle myself?"

Robin's hands fisted. "You're staying here. End of discussion."

"Who do you think you are? You're not Batman. You have no right to boss me around!"

"You came to Jump for my help. Either accept it or crawl back to Gotham!" He snarled. Beast Boy's ears drooped a little. Was Robin having a fight with all of the capes he grew up with?

"You first!" Oriole snapped.

At first, that seemed to shut him up real fast. Then he scowled at her and growled, "Jump is my city. You'll follow my rules or I'll ship you off to Gotham where you belong." He looked over at Starfire. "She's staying in one of the guest rooms. Help her settle in. I have research to do." Robin turned on his heel and stormed away, leaving Oriole breathing hard from the stress.

Starfire put a hand on Oriole's shoulder. "Do not worry. Robin will calm down…eventually. Then he will not try to keep you here like a prisoner.

Oriole, mirroring something Robin would do, shook her hand off and spun around, taking out her anger on those closest to her. "And until then, what should I do? Stay here? Stop living my life? Be a prisoner, like you said, until Robin says otherwise? He might be the leader of the Teen Titans but he is most certainly not mine. I don't have to listen to what he says and I'm not going to!" Her eyes softened and she sighed. "But he is right about one thing. This is your city. I have to play by Jump's rule now. That'll take some getting used to." Oriole started heading for the door.

"Oriole," the girl stopped and turned at Starfire's voice, "please, to where are you going?"

"I need to talk to him." She grinned. "To play by the rules, I gotta know what they are. As long as I can leave the Tower itself I'll be fine. I'll just agree to not leave the island."

"You're gonna try to talk to Robin right now?" Beast Boy asked, awed that she wasn't at least a little intimidated.

Oriole shrugged. "No time like the present. Patience is for people who think something better is gonna come along." With that, she left the common room.

Starfire turned to Beast Boy, "Please, who is this Oriole? She is most…strange."

"Who's Oriole? Only the most awesome heroine from Gotham ever! Batman trained her and Robin since they were really little. Seriously though, how can you live with Robin for three years and not even know about Oriole?" Didn't he just explain this?

Cyborg cut in, "Cool it, man. Star's not exactly from around here."

That wasn't much of an excuse in Beast Boy's mind.

"She was also train by the Batman, yes?" Starfire asked.

"Yep," BB confirmed.

"Perhaps that is the reason they are so…unhappy with each other; they are on opposites sides of Robin's disagreement with Batman."

"You think so?" Beast Boy asked.

Star nodded. "I believe it makes sense. And from Robin's previous behavior we can assume that when Oriole chose to stay in Gotham, Robin grew angry with her. Robin may have conflicting emotions regarding Oriole staying here."

"That would explain a lot." Cyborg replied. "How about we just ask her? I mean, Oriole was actually there."

"Why ask Oriole?" Raven piped up.

"Robin's never told us anything like that before, why start now? 'Sides, he's all mad 'cause of that fight with Oriole.

"I don't trust her." Raven told them, her violet eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Surprise, surprise," Beast Boy retorted sarcastically.

Before Raven could insult him, Starfire asked, "Why do you not like the Oriole?"

"It's not that I don't like her, Starfire. It's just that something just doesn't feel right when she's around."

"No, really? There's a hit out on her and you have a bad feeling about her. Who'da thunk?" Beast Boy teased.

Raven shook her head. "That's not it. She's just…ugh, I don't know. I just don't like her."

"She seemed kind enough." Starfire pointed out.

"It's not that either." Raven sighed, annoyed with herself. "I can't explain it. There's just something about her that's…off."

**Author's Note: ** Well that's not ominous. So, we're starting to get to the good stuff! Thanks for reading , please review and you have an awesome day!


	4. Chapter 3: Smooth Move

**Disclaimer:** i don't own teen titans

**Author's Note:** Yay! There's an internet hotspot up here! I can log on and give you a new chapter before it's due! Am I awesome or what? Just kidding. Seriously though, I get that you don't want to sit writing reviews all day, but even saying "That's good" or "I didn't like this" would help. Please review!

Okay, begging and pathetic episode over. Sorry if I come off a little overdramatic, that's just my annoying way of talking. Moving on now. Okay, here it comes, so kick back, relax, fasten your seatbelts, keep your arms and legs in the car at all times and enjoy Chapter 3: Smooth Move!

Chapter 3: Smooth Move

Sara

5:10 pm

Jump City, California

Titans Tower

Sara's discussion with Robin after their little showdown hadn't gone well. Robin still refused to let her leave without an escort. Is she five years old? The teen sighed. The Titans gave her a guest bedroom that they used after their final battle with the Brotherhood of Evil. It had red walls with yellow ceiling wallpaper, and red carpet much like the one in the common room. She set her suitcase down and began to unpack.

_What__'s__ got Ro so stressed out?_ It wasn't the assassins, she knew that much. He'd been perfectly calm and his aura hadn't suggested that he was afraid…not until Oriole showed up at the fight with Slade. Was that it? That she'd disobeyed him, even though his thoughts admitted that he liked her idea? But wouldn't that cause him to be upset rather than scared? And she knew he was scared. There was no doubt in her mind that he was afraid of something. Was it Slade? Was Robin actually afraid of a bad guy? During the fight, (she'd watched before jumping in, see) Robin hadn't made any quips or jokes or anything. At first, she thought that this was result of the new Robin, but now...The alarm rang, and Robin's voice echoed in her room from the intercom.

"Titans, Slade is targeting Wayne Enterprises! Get there, now!"

Outside Sara's bedroom she heard Starfire and Beast Boy talking.

"Why's Robin using the intercom for that? We could've just looked at our communicators. And Robin's never used the intercom!"

The voices began to fade as the two Titans walked away. _Well of course he's worried!_ She thought angrily. _The man that owns that company practically raised him! _What's going on? Why didn't they know that? Hadn't Robin taken off his mask for them? Her mind went back to her conversation with Starfire. _"Are your eyes the same color as Robin's?"_ Wow. He really hasn't yet! Doesn't he trust them enough after, what, three years?

They were near Wayne Enterprises, on a rooftop of an apartment building. She'd cleverly snuck in the T-car through the trunk. Robin wasn't very happy about that. But, now he was stuck with her. He'd deal, Oriole decided. Cyborg and Beast Boy remained on ground level, in case Slade tried the doors. Raven and Starfire went inside to look for the criminal, but their main goal was to chase him onto the rooftop so that Robin and Oriole could catch him. Robin didn't really expect the girls to find Slade, nor for Slade to use the doors at ground level. That's why he was on the rooftops.

She knew that Robin had reluctantly allowed her to come with him. But she was along strictly for back-up; he'd made that perfectly clear. Oriole's being along wasn't the only thing that was worrying Robin. She couldn't understand it. Robin had never been so tense before a fight. The Robin she knew usually was cracking jokes and making muscles in mirrors or something just as childish. Where was that Robin now? Time to ask questions.

"Ro, why are you so worried? What's wrong? Why is Slade such a big deal?"

"Not now, Oriole." He didn't even bother to turn around.

"What do you mean 'not now'?" She snapped angrily. "Robin, this is obviously something important! I'll ask one of the others if I have to!"

He sighed and turned to his surrogate sister. "He was the first big crime lord. I got obsessed and worried and, admittedly, a lot like Bruce when he fights Joker. I went in too deep. Things got bad and now I'm the one that he's after!"

He turned back around and pinched the bridge of his nose, an obvious sign of stress.

She took a moment to process this, and a disturbing thought came to her mind. "Dick, if Slade's after you, do you think he would be trying to kill me to get to you?"

"Already considered that," He grunted, not turning to look at the younger.

"Do you think he'd do that?" Oriole asked, worried. There was more that he wasn't telling her, but she decided to let it slide for now.

"Wouldn't put it past him," Robin replied, now focusing back onto the rooftops.

"But do you think that's why he's after me?" She pressed.

"I don't know," he admitted. Now she was scared. Robin never admitted he was wrong or didn't know something…ever. He continued, "But then again, there are a lot of things about that monster I don't understand. He doesn't just kill for money like other assassins…well not most of the time. He's different."

If Robin didn't have his mask on right now, she would have seen a fury and determination in his eyes that she'd never seen before.

"Ro, is that why you've been so upset? Because you don't understand Slade?"

"Drop it, Sara," He growled over his shoulder. Now, if Oriole didn't have some insight into Robin's mind, she would've thought that she was right. But she heard an unfamiliar fear and loathing in his voice, betraying his true thoughts. There was more, and from what Oriole could tell, lots more!

She decided to drop it for now, and changed tactics. "So what's the plan?"

"When he comes onto the roof we'll jump him."

"And then what?"

"We fight."

"That's really complicated," she remarked sarcastically.

"Got any better ideas?" The old Robin would've at least smiled at that, but this new Robin was a complete mystery her, and it messed with everything she knew about him. Next thing she knew, Oriole would find out that Robin had worked for Slade or something just as bad. She shook her head. No, Robin would never do something like that.

"Here he comes, get ready." Robin crouched down lower so Slade couldn't see him, Oriole followed suit.

"Now!" He whispered. They sprung up and out towards Wayne Enterprises, and landed perfectly on the rooftop, getting into a fighting stance, almost mirroring each other.

"I suppose Robin taught you everything you know, Oriole? I couldn't help but notice that you two have the same style. Or perhaps Batman has the same style as well?" Oh how Oriole hated Slade's silky voice. It made him sound so innocent yet dangerous at the same time.

"Quit stalling, Slade!" Robin snarled.

Why was he already so angry? Was that hate written on his face? What was going on?

Slade laughed cruelly. "Smart boy," He applauded, but that only made Robin angrier. "There are other ways to 'stall' as you put it."

Not a nanosecond had passed before Slade launched himself into Robin, and Oriole was still standing there, trying to figure out what to do. Feeling stupid, she leapt into the action. By the time she'd sprung and was in the air, Slade was crushing Robin under his boot, and Slade had just enough time to swipe an uppercut at her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Oriole sunk to the ground, gasping for air.

"Oriole, go get the others!" Robin called out weakly as Slade's boot sunk lower and lower into his chest.

"Get away from him!" Oriole screeched as she jumped at Slade's throat. Robin could call for back-up after he was free. Half-way between morphing into a tigress, Slade caught her arms in his fists and squeezed them tightly. She cried out in pain and kicked wildly, aiming for the place that guys don't like to be kicked. But he dodged it with ease, and Oriole ended up kicking Robin in the side. He grunted.

"Ouch."

"Sorry," she apologized and kept squirming to free herself from Slade's iron grip.

"Forget this!" she shouted, and snapped her fingers. Just like that, fire pushed Slade away and freed her from his hands. The flames just barely burned through Slade's black suit, which Oriole had done on purpose. The goal was to capture, not burn to a crisp.

Ro escaped, grabbed his communicator and shouted into the speaker. "Titans, Slade's on the roof! Get here now!"

Sweat beaded his forehead, and muddled emotions waved off of him. Oriole wanted desperately to know what was going on, but right now they had a criminal that needed chasing. Not a moment after she thought this did Slade ran off and sprung onto the rooftop on which the Gothamites had been waiting scarcely ten minutes ago. She turned back to Robin to find that he was about a half-second behind Slade, racing to catch up. She sighed and ran after them.

Robin

5:18 pm

Jump City, California

Near Wayne Enterprises

His side protested against running, since it was still hurting from Oriole's kick. Despite being new to the team, Sara was still a force to be reckoned with. He made a mental note to keep her from going into his mind and accessing his memories about Slade. He hated how she could hack into his mind like it was just a computer, punch in a few key codes and you're in! He pushed the thought aside as Robin chased Slade over the rooftops. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the other Titans just behind him. Terror shot through him when he couldn't see Oriole. For a heartbeat, he almost wanted to stop and look for her. Robin shook his head. _Sara can take care of herself. She'll be fine. _

Slade leapt over to a building. Normally this wasn't anything new. He could do lots of things that Robin could. What was amazing was the fact that Robin couldn't jump that. Heck, no one could jump that! It was just too far! But he still made it. There was a howl, and Sara, in her wolf form, jumped down on top of Slade. For a few seconds, he thought that she would actually take Slade down, but he rolled out of the way. Oriole's long dagger-like teeth glistened in the moonlight. Her eyes blazed with malice and adrenaline. He'd never seen Sara so serious when she was fighting criminals. Then again, Slade wasn't just a criminal.

Starfire picked Robin up while Sara and Slade kept fighting. The other Titans were right behind them. The wolf grabbed Slade by the torso and dragged him off and out of sight. There was a battle cry from Slade. Then, fear enveloped him as he heard a high-pitched yelp, and Slade began running away again.

"Oriole!" he called out, and strained his ears for any sign that Sara was at least conscious.

Another whimper sounded off, and was cut off abruptly as a gunshot rang out. "Oriole!" Starfire called, concern coloring her voice, and flew faster.

The Boy Wonder began shouting out orders. "Cy, BB, go after Slade! Starfire, go look for that sniper! Raven, you and I are gonna go check on Oriole!"

Robin knew that the Titans would really be worried now. If he was actually worrying about someone other than Slade during a chase, something had to be wrong! Reluctantly, it seemed, the Titans did what they were told.

Raven

5:23 pm Jump City, California

Near Wayne Enterprises

She knew something like this would happen! Raven widened the disk she was using to fly on so that Robin could land on it. Just before they landed on the roof, Robin leapt off and ran to Oriole's side…her bloodied side, Raven corrected herself. Blood was already sinking into Robin tights and steel-toed shoes, but he didn't seem to care. Raven was amazed at how level headed Robin was. Already he was using his cape as a blanket for her. Her shivers lessened, but the blood didn't stop.

"Oriole, wake up," he said in a soft voice, which was distorted by fear. The fear of losing someone close warped Robin's memories of what to do. "Raven, get over here!" He barked. She knew his anger was only from worry, and said nothing as she rushed to his side.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos, Azarath Metrion Zinthos," she chanted as her hands glowed with a white aura. The power coursed through her, and for a second, Raven could see Oriole's memories.

_Oriole was dancing with a younger Robin to the song "I Will Be Here" by Steven Curtis Chapman.__ A war raged inside of Oriole. "I don't deserve this! I'm not the girl he thinks I am!" Then the words began to penetrate her battle. "Through the winning, losing and trying, we'll be together." Suddenly, all doubt was gone. She actually meant the returned smile she gave him. And he seemed to respond to it. _Raven shook her head free of Oriole's subconscious, and kept working. Those weren't her thoughts. She shouldn't have seen that. Oh well, there wasn't anything Raven could do about it now.

Slowly, the blood lessened and Oriole's breathing became smoother and came more easily. When Raven was done, Robin scooped the wounded Oriole up into his arms.

"Could you get us home, Raven?" His voice was soft. He was exhausted from stress. The Titan nodded and teleported them to the hospital wing of Titans Tower. Robin didn't even shiver. Almost as soon as they landed on the tile floor, he laid Oriole onto a bed. Her eyes twitched as she became conscious. Groaning, she tried to sit up, then winced and clutched her side. Raven saw the bullet hole just below her lung. Whatever sniper had hit her wasn't very well trained, evidence of that was the fact that she had been such an easy target at the time. Her eyes flashed a bright green and the wound closed slowly. "You alright, Sair?" Robin asked. Did Robin just reveal Oriole's real name?

She nodded. "I'll be fine."

"Good. Raven, how about we go check on the others? Get some sleep, Oriole" He really just didn't want to see Oriole like this. They were just about to head for the common room when both their communicators rang. Robin opened his and Raven looked over his shoulder.

Cyborg appeared on the screen. "Star found the sniper, but we lost Slade. Sorry, man... How's Oriole holding up?"

"We'll worry about Slade later. Oriole's fine. She'll be alright." He repeated it as if trying to convince himself. "Do you guys know who the sniper is yet?"

Cyborg shook his head. "I'll explain when we get back to the Tower. See you there." The screen went black.

The room was silent for a moment. Raven blinked as images from Robin's past began flashing through her mind. She felt his concern begin to escalate as he went over possible criminals from Gotham that would want Oriole dead. The answer was thousands, maybe millions of criminals. From behind them, Oriole tried to soothe Robin, "Ro, it doesn't matter. I'm alright. It's gonna take a lot more than a gun to get rid of me."

Robin pinched in between his eyes. "That's not true. You're not immortal."

"Ro, I don't even think Slade wants to kill me! If he did, would he really hire a terrible sniper who doesn't know how to aim and got caught so easily?"

He ignored her, sat down on a chair and flipped on the TV.

_"This was the scene earlier tonight. As the criminal named Slade attempted robbery from Wayne Enterprises." _

Robin swore under his breath.

_"In related news, the Teen Titans have added a new team member. The Oriole was seen earlier flying over rooftops in hot pursuit of Slade. Both Robin and Oriole were trained by the Batman in Gotham, New York. According to Teen Titan Beast Boy, Oriole is just here for a visit and should be back in Gotham in about a week at the very least. But according to passerby's, Oriole was shot by a sniper while she was chasing the criminal Slade."_

"Shit," Robin swore audibly. He turned the TV off and hurled the remote at the far wall.

"You don't know that," Oriole responded to something Robin had thought.

"Batman will be watching for us on the news, Oriole! You know that! God damn it!" He stormed off for the door. Both girls followed.

"Ro, he won't blame you for what happened."

"Bullshit," he snarled.

"Just blame me, it is my fault anyway."

"I should've made you stay home."

She scoffed. "Like I would've listened."

"This isn't a joke, Sara!" He roared, spinning around and glaring Oriole right in the face. "You could've been killed!"

"No I wouldn't! Get it through your head! He wasn't trying to kill me." Robin didn't reply as he flicked on the computer in the common room. Oriole sighed. "What are you looking for?"

"Nothing," he replied, "just waiting for the others to get here." As he spoke the door opened, and the other three Titans walked in. Oriole began giving them signals to get out. Cyborg saw them and began ushering the others away. "Where's the sniper?" Robin asked in a tight voice without turning around.

"We attempted to convince the men of the police to allow us to take custody of the criminal, but they did not comply. I am sorry, Robin."

Robin's head sunk a little lower as Raven felt a wave of anger sweep through him. The only other emotion that Raven could sense was worry. Beast Boy spoke next. "And, uh, dude, there's something else you should know." When Robin said nothing, Beast Boy continued uncomfortably, "The sniper was, uh, we think he's from Gotham."

"Why? Did he say that?" Oriole asked. Robin remained silent.

Cyborg spoke this time. "No, but he had on a black ops mask. It was kinda like the ones that Black Masks' goons wear."

Oriole sighed with relief. "See, Ro, I told you it was nothing to worry about." Robin still didn't speak, still didn't move. "Ro?"

Just then, a communicator rang. Raven reached for her inside pocket, but Robin stopped her. "It's mine." Robin pulled out a black communicator that looked like a regular cell phone. Oriole groaned. Beast Boy squeaked excitedly. Robin started for the side door, Oriole on his heels. Just before they left, she murmured, "Excuse us. This is kinda private." They left.

Confused, Beast Boy asked, "What was that all about?"

Beast Boy

6:12 pm

Jump City

Titans Tower

What was going on with Robin? Seriously, he was being a little overly dramatic over the whole situation.

Cyborg replied angrily, "Seriously, man? That was his communicator from Batman! He's probably getting yelled at because Oriole got shot!"

"I knew that. But Oriole's okay. Why would get yelled at for something that didn't even seem to affect her?"

"Because it almost killed her. If we hadn't gotten to her in time, she might've died." The empath explained.

"Dude," Beast Boy said in awe. "Geez, Oriole was lucky that Robin didn't kill her after that!"

Starfire was shocked. "How could you believe that? He would never do such a horrible thing to a fellow Titan!"

"Cool it, Star! It's just a joke!"

"You should not joke about these events! That is most disrespectful!"

"Jeez Star, be a drama queen why don't you?"

Robin and Oriole came back in. Robin looked even angrier, Oriole was down-hearted. The room was silent until Beast Boy couldn't contain his excitement any more. "What did Batman say? Does he like us?"

Angrily, Robin snapped, "How do you think it went? He doesn't give a damn about us Beast Boy. The only reason he called is because of her." He jerked a thumb towards Oriole.

Jeez. Overreaction much? Beast Boy did understand what it was like to have a disapproving mentor, but Batman couldn't have said anything to get Robin this mad, could he?

"He didn't mean what he said. B's just worried." Oriole defended in a quiet voice

"Don't make excuses for him! Batman always says what he means!"

"Ro, he's not perfect," She replied in a small voice.

"You're damned right, he's not!" Robin snarled, and Oriole flinched at his angry tone..

"Robin, it is not Oriole's fault that Batman said whatever he did." Raven nodded in agreement.

"Actually, Star, it kind of is…" Oriole trailed off as she cast a fearful look at Robin. Raven felt a wave of mixed emotions come off of Robin, and their connection only made it have an even stronger effect on her. He felt angry, confused, hurt and upset. But the worst emotion, and the strongest, was shame. Shame for allowing Oriole to be nearly killed on his watch, shame for seeming so emotionally weak in front of his team, and shame that the Titans weren't all that they could be (or at least in his mind). The strongest shame was that he let Batman down.

From Oriole, Raven felt a whole new bunch of emotions. Among them, the strongest one was sorrow. She felt sad because Robin and Batman were fighting so much. She also felt responsible for their most recent argument. Raven began to feel bad for Oriole, and then remembered her visions of Oriole and pushed her pity aside.

_Oriole stood above Robin, a pistol in her trembling hands. Robin stared back at her. He was calm, and kept muttering to her that it was going to be okay, that she wouldn't hurt him, that he'd figure out a way to help her. But Slade moved out from the shadows. Robin glared at him with all the hate he could muster. _

_"Slade, please. Don't-" An invisible force clamped her mouth shut and her voice cut off._

_"Robin, I'm giving you one last chance."_

_"Not in a million years." He snarled. _

_Slade's eye narrowed. The gun Oriole aimed at Robin fired and Slade said, with just...disappointment in his voice, "What a waste."_

Beast Boy alerted Raven to the present. He looked uncomfortable and said with a yawn, "Well, it's been a long day, I'm gonna hit the sack. Night!"

Hurriedly, Beast Boy left, Cyborg following a little slower. "_Raven, could you leave me and Robin alone for a second please?"_ Oriole was just thinking this, not accessing Raven's mind, which Raven felt was a very polite thing for her to do.

But still she hesitated before reaching out for Oriole's conscious and replied, "_If you think you can help Robin with whatever Batman said, but I don't know if you'll convince Starfire so easily."  
><em>

_"Good point. You've lived with her; do you have any suggestions?"_

She considered this for a moment. "_If you convince her that whatever you're going to say is private, she'll respect that."_

_"Okay, thanks Raven." _

_"Can I ask what Batman said?"_

Oriole was silent for a minute. _"If Robin doesn't want you to know, that's his right. He didn't say much to me. Other than "Are you alright?" but that was pretty much it." _

_"Do I even want to know what he said to Robin?"_

A moment's silence, then she replied. _"No, probably not."_

Coming from Oriole, Raven felt a rush of sadness in Batman for saying something so cruel to Robin. She decided to help."Hey Starfire, maybe I could figure out who the sniper is if you described him to me. Let's go in your room."

"I must stay here**,**" Starfire replied stubbornly.

Then, she whispered, "Look, Oriole wants to tell Robin something private, so let's give them some space."

Starfire's eyes softened slightly. "Very well," she whispered back. Then she called to the two Gothamites, "Goodnight, friends."

Robin didn't even acknowledge her. "Goodnight, Starfire, night Raven." "_Thank you."_ She added in thought.

_"If you help Robin, you're helping me too. That's the way I see it."_

She smiled at Raven as Starfire began to leave. _I suppose so, you having empathy and all. _

_Good night, Oriole. Good luck. _

_Thank you, Raven. Sweet dreams._ Raven left and hurried after Starfire.

**Author's Note:** Things are getting heated! Slade has revealed that he may not want to kill Sara. But then what is his plan? Tune in next week and please review! Have fun with your summer todos!**  
><strong>


	5. Chapter 4: Why Now?

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing except for Oriole and the plot.

**Author's Note:** Hola! What's up people? I'm back from vacation, which also means I won't have any problems updating weekly. So, in this chapter we see a little more of Robin and Oriole's more…personal life before Robin left. We also find out how well she seems to know him. Here it is. Chapter Four: Why Now?

Chapter 4: Why Now?

Sara

5:52 pm

Jump City

Titans Tower

The familiar ringtone from the Bat communicator filled her ears as Robin pulled it out. The two exchanged looks. They both knew that whatever Bruce was going to say, it needed to be said away from the Titans. _Did he already see the news?_ Oriole asked herself. She groaned and began following Robin to the side door that leads to the hallway. "Excuse us. This is kinda private." She muttered to the other Titans, and continued on. When they got out to the hallway, Robin clicked a couple buttons until Batman's angry face appeared on screen.

"Dick, what the hell is going on over there?" He roared angrily. Robin seemed to shrink. Oriole sighed. _Here we go again!_ When Ro didn't answer, Bruce growled. "Damn it, Dick, answer the question! What have you been doing over there? I saw the news! Sara got shot? Is she there with you?"

She raised her hand so he could see her better from behind Robin. "Present!"

"Are you alright?" He asked almost the moment he saw Sara.

"I'm fine, thanks to Ro."

"He told you to say that!" Bruce snapped. She was horrified. Surely Bruce knew her better than that!

"Nothing happened Bruce, just an accident. It was nothing." Making excuses. What kid hasn't done that?

"Nothing! Oriole nearly got killed on your watch, Richard! Sara was your responsibility!"

"B, it wasn't his fault, I wouldn't listen-"

"Quiet, Sara!" He snapped.

Something snapped inside of him snapped at that moment. His jaw clenched and his muscles tightened. "Don't yell at her like that! She's been putting up with your bullshit for a whole three years while I've been gone! Cut her some slack!" Ungh, Di why did you have to swear?

"You don't use that language, Richard Grayson."

"Oh, I don't?" He laughed humorlessly. "What you gonna do about it, Bruce? In case you don't remember, you're on the other side of the continent. I have other problems right now, so shove off." To Oriole's horror, he snapped the communicator shut.

Oriole didn't say anything, and for a while, there was silence, other than Robin's heavy breathing. She couldn't believe she'd let it get this far. She had to fix it. All of this was her fault. "Ro…"

"Don't say anything to the team." He growled as he went back to the common room. Oriole sighed and followed him back.

She heard the faint whispers from the other Titans. "You should not joke about such events! That is most disrespectful!" Starfire was scolding someone. Judging from the context, Oriole's guess was Beast Bo,.

Sure enough, Beast Boy retorted. "Jeez Star, be a drama queen why don't you!" They came in, and the room fell silent. She didn't have to guess what they had been talking about a few minutes ago. Suddenly, Sara found her shoes very interesting. The silence came to a point where she thought that Robin wouldn't blow up because someone asked how it- "What did Batman say? Does he like us?" – went. Ugh, too late.

Of course, "How do you think it went? He doesn't give a damn about us! He only called because of her!" He jerked a thumb in Sara's direction.

Not really thinking that anything she said would help, Sara muttered in a quiet voice, "He didn't mean what he said. B's just worried."

As expected, Robin spun around and spat, "Don't make excuses for him! Batman always says what he means."

"Ro, he's not perfect."

"You're damned right, he's not!" He may as well have hit her. She flinched.

To her great surprise, Starfire stood up for Oriole, "Robin, it is not Oriole's fault that the Batman said whatever it is he did." Equally shocking, Raven nodded in agreement. But they were wrong and they had to know that.

"Actually, Starfire, it kind of is." Oriole looked over at Ro, expecting him to yell at her again, but he turned away and began pulling up criminal files from Gotham. Obviously, his fight with Bruce hadn't set him off enough to forget about the assassins. He wouldn't give up very easily. Then again, Robin never had. But he had changed so much.

A dead silence overtook the Tower. Until, that is, Beast Boy said with a yawn, "Well, it's been a long day. I'm gonna hit the hay. Night!" Cyborg shifted his weight back and forth, until he followed Beast Boy out. All at once, the light bulb in Oriole's head lit as an idea of how to make Dick feel better popped into her head. But since it had to do with going out without masks, she had to get the girls to leave. Starfire was dating Robin, so she wouldn't leave so easily. And Raven…wait, Raven! She decided to just think the question to her, not send them to her. It was more polite and Raven didn't like her too much.

'_Raven, could you leave me and Robin alone for a second please?"_

She hesitated, but understood what Sara meant, so that had to count for something. "_If you think you can help Robin with whatever Batman said, but I don't know if you'll convince Starfire so easily."_

_My thoughts exactly_, Sara thought, just she didn't let Raven hear it. Instead she replied, "_Good point. You've lived with her; do you have any suggestions?"_

Raven paused again. "_If you convince her that whatever you're going to say is private, she'll respect that."_

"_Okay, thanks Raven."_ Oriole began planning of how to convince Starfire of this when Raven's thoughts interrupted hers.

"_May I ask what Batman said?"_

Truthfully, Sara would've loved nothing more than to tell Raven, if no one else, about all of it. But that could lead to more questions afterward. "_If Robin doesn't want you to know, that's his right. He didn't say much to me. Other than 'Are you alright?' but that was pretty much it."_ Silently, she added, _sorry I can't tell you more._

"_Do I even want to know what he said to Robin?"_

She had to ask that, didn't she? Oriole didn't want Raven to start bugging Di about Bruce. But, then again, Raven wasn't like Beast Boy. She knew when to pry and when to zip her lips. "_No, probably not."_

_B, why did you have to yell at him, why? _Oriole knew Raven could probably feel every emotion that she felt. She likely knew that both Robin and Oriole were upset, but then again, that was probably a given. Maybe that would convince Raven to help her with this.

"Hey Starfire, maybe I could figure out who the sniper is if you described him to me. Let's go in your room."

Thank you, Raven!

"I must stay here." Starfire could be stubborn when she wanted to. Sara hardly heard whatever Raven said to her, but it obviously worked. "Goodnight, friends."

"Goodnight, Starfire, night Raven." She also sent a thank you to Raven in thought.

"_If you help Robin, you're helping me too. That's the way I see it." _

A faint smile flickered on her lips. "_I suppose so, you having empathy and all."_

"_Good night, Oriole. Good luck."_And with that, both girls left. Robin and Oriole were left alone.

The younger sighed as Slade's face came up along with Talia al Ghul's. He was always the busy bee. Took after Bruce that way, she supposed. "Talia? You don't honestly think that Talia would-"

"She's part of an assassin cult, isn't she?" He snapped.

"Ro, w-what B said, i-it doesn't matter. He was wrong. He-he didn't know," Again with the stuttering!

"What's your point, Oriole?" He snarled.

Suddenly, anger took over. "My point is that you're acting as though you're two years old! He was worried about us, Robin. Why don't you just get that through your head and let it go? Seriously, I hate this fight!" The last part was out of her motor mouth before she realized what she was saying. This was Oriole looking for comfort, not the other way around like she intended.

Robin didn't miss it either. "He didn't even talk to you!"

"Hardly, I know. I didn't mean it to sound like that. But really Ro, you're acting like a child. You know how Bruce is."

"You mean manipulative? Yeah, I know."

She sighed. "No, that's not what I meant." It's time to put Operation Make-Robin-Happier into action. And yes, she did name it. And yes, it's a dorky name. "You know what'll make you feel better?"

"Catching Slade? Or figuring out why everyone's after you?"

"Well, maybe, but no. A motorcycle ride! Not as Robin and Oriole, but we'll go as ourselves. No one's after Sara Thompson and Dick Grayson."

Robin was having doubts; she could see it written on his face. "I don't know, Oriole. This is Slade we're talking about. He knows who I am. I'll bet he put a hit on you too. Even if he didn't, he would know and come after us himself."

That did take her by surprise. But she was too stubborn. "Come on, please?"

"No, Sara." He said firmly, and began typing again.

She pushed her lip out and pouted. It was the pout that convinced Ro to go after Joker with just Oriole, and without Batman knowing. It convinced Dick to sneak out at night to go to a party. And it convinced him to stay with Clark for a day after he stormed out of the Manor three years ago. She knew it would work this time. If she could get him to look at her, that is. "Pleeeease?"

He saw her out of the corner of his eye. "Not the look," he moaned, "Please, spare me the look."

"Pleeeease?" She pleaded, pushing her lip out further and making her eyes as big as possible.

His lip twitched. "It's not gonna work this time, Sara."

"Are you telling me, or yourself?" She asked triumphantly, knowing that she'd already won. Ro was already closing out of files.

He looked at her and sighed. "Alright, spare me the look. We'll go on out for a ride, but no masks!" Psh, as if he made the rules.

Maybe this'll make things better. Di loves motorcycles. He always told her that they clear his head. Let's hope he was telling the truth!

The wind rushed through her hair and they drove down the highway. She wasn't as good with motorcycles as Dick was, but she did pretty well, considering she learned everything she knew about them from him. Over the com-link, Sara could hear him laughing. It's working! I asked, "So, where you wanna go, Di? PIZZA place, video store?"

He laughed. "Nah, let's stay on the road." They went a couple miles before either spoke. "Wanna race?"

Sara giggled. "I'll give you a head-start."

"Your mistake!" Immediately, he sped off. She revved the motorcycle and it jumped forward after him.

"I need to know where we're going if we're gonna race! Di?" But he was already out of sight. "Di?" I called.

There was static on his side, and then a voice whispered menacingly, "Hello, Oriole." Slade.

"Where's Di…Robin?"She demanded.

"You want him? Come find him."

In the background, I heard Dick screaming, "NO! Stay away! Run! Get back to the-" His voice cut off with static.

Robin

6:13 pm

Jump City

Near Slade's Old Haunt

Normally, whenever Sara had to use the look, Dick regretted it afterwards. Not this time. It was nice to race down the streets of Jump without having to worry about some criminal. He'd forgotten what it was like to see without a mask. He was definitely going to thank Sara after this. Dick called over the radio, "Wanna race?"

She laughed. "I'll give you a head start."

HA! "You're mistake!" Dick revved the bike and felt it charge forward. Every once in a while, he looked over his shoulder for Sara, just because she didn't know Jump City as well as he did. As he looked back, something caught his eye. Slade stood on the rooftops; a gun was in his hands. _Sara! _He swerved off the road, and changed into his costume. For the second time today, Robin thought: _Why now? _Time seemed to go in slow motion as he launched onto the roof. Robin charged at Slade. "NO!" Slam! The two men crashed into each other and nearly fell off.

Slade regained balance and said in his tormenting voice, "Robin, I'm impressed. A little annoyed that you ruined my shot, but very impressed. Why not let me kill her though? You want her out of Jump City as much as I do."

Robin charged again, this time aiming for Slade's chest. Slade caught his punch in his fist and twisted his arm behind him. Robin yelped. He desperately tried to twist out of Slade's grip, but he was too strong. Slade's gloved hand grabbed the earpiece. "Hello, Oriole."

"No!" Slade's hand clapped over his mouth. Robin squirmed, but again Slade was too strong.

He listened for Sara's voice, though he knew it would be too quiet anyway. Slade spoke after a couple seconds. "You want him? Come find him."

That's it! Robin twisted free and screamed, "NO! Stay away! Run! Get back to the Tower!" Slade had crushed it in between his fingers just before Robin finished. He just hoped Sara listened to him.

"That was very rude, Robin." Slade sounded dangerous. Robin had been fighting Slade long enough to know when he was pissed off. He decided now would be a good time to try to run. He bolted off to the edge and jumped down onto his motorcycle. Before Robin could even start the engine, Slade grabbed his cape and threw him into the opposite wall. Stars popped in front of his eyes as his head hit the wall. Just then, a fireball caught Slade hard on his side. Oriole was standing at the entrance of the alleyway, and she looked pissed! She was at Robin's side in two seconds and offered him a hand.

"What part of stay away don't you understand?"Robin snapped, this time taking her hand. She pulled him to his feet and smiled.

"The 'away' part, and by the way, you're welcome," she replied. Robin rolled his eyes. "So, uh, Ro, you know I'd love to sit here and chat, but someone who wants me dead is kind of at the end of the alley, so I think it's best if we just go…" As she spoke, Slade started to get up.

"Agreed," Robin said, and jumped onto his motorcycle. Oriole's was parked across the street. She met him in the middle of the road.

Over the com-link (he had a spare tucked into his helmet), he heard Oriole sigh. "Why did this have to happen now? You were just starting to forget about Slade, and he just has to show up and ruin everything!" So, basically, she just spoke Robin's exact thoughts.

"Slade has a habit of showing up whenever unexpected." He replied darkly.

"What's that supposed to mean? Ro, what aren't you telling me?"

Maybe if he told Oriole, she would understand why he did what he did. But on the other hand, maybe she wouldn't, "never mind."

She started shouting, "No! Enough already! I want to know what's going on! Who's Slade? Why do you hate him so much? And why does the whole team seem to avoid talking about him? I want answers, Ro! And if I don't get them from you, I'll find out from someone else!"

Wow. Robin didn't even know what to say to that. Normally, Oriole would've just blown it off for awhile, but he guessed that might've just been because they'd been dating the only other time he'd tried to keep something from her (before she was Oriole or even knew that he was Robin). He knew she would find out from someone else. She'd found out a lot about Bruce without him even knowing and she didn't even tell Dick all of the newfound information.

He sighed. _Better for me to tell her than one of the Titans, besides I should've told her anyway_: he thought. "I did some things I'm not proud of and it was because of Slade."

"And…?" she encouraged.

"And, I don't want to talk about exactly what happened yet. Just…know that he's probably my Joker." There, that would be enough. Maybe now Sara would understand.

Neither teenager said anything until they reached the Tower…at around 7:30. To Robin, it'd felt like mere minutes. But they had circled around Jump City once, before running into Slade. Sara was right. It had taken his mind off of things. But now his mind was buzzing with new theories about Slade. Why did Slade want to kill Sara? What was his angle? Was it really just to get to Robin? For some reason, Robin felt like there was more to it than that. But, why come back now?

**Author's Note:** Why indeed? Did anyone catch the little side note about them dating? *GASP! …Then again, who wasn't expecting that? They bicker too much to just be surrogate siblings, right? I know this chapter basically revolved around Robin and Oriole, but it was necessary. SPOILER ALERT: Oriole uses her "look" to persuade Robin to do some…potentially suicidal things in the future. Tune in next week for Chapter Five: Visions and Answers!


	6. Chapter 5: Visions and Vague Answers

**Disclaimer:** I'm not even eighteen yet and you people think I own Teen Titans. Ha, you're funny.

**Author's Note:** Readers: Why are you posting Chapter 5 so early, karana32? Answer: Just found out that my family and I are heading up to my uncle's place for the 4th of July this weekend and I thought it might be nice to spread a little holiday cheer and hand out some free candy…I mean chapters. Chapter 6 coming at you on Wednesday and Chapter 7 on Friday. Then on the Fourth I'll give you Chapter 8. If any of you want a little fun and get a preview of when the action really gets good, just send me a review asking for it. But it's not a free preview. All you have to do is tell me what you thought and what you think I need to improve on. Trust me, I'm not perfect.

Oriole

Chapter 5: Visions and Vague Answers

Oriole

2:57 am

Jump City

Titans Tower

Sara sat up quickly, gasping for air. She took a couple minutes to slow her breathing and tried to remain calm. That dream had been so vivid, so clear. Was it a vision? Was something really going to happen to Bruce? And…would it happen while neither Dick nor Sara was there? She shook her head. No, something like that couldn't happen to Bruce; especially not him. Things like that just didn't happen to that man.

She looked over at the clock. _Almost three in the morning, great._ She lay down and rolled over. As soon as she closed her eyes, though, the visions started coming back. _The fireball aimed at Bruce's head grew brighter as Sara's fingers spread further apart. That fire would be enough to kill him. She was going to kill him! "I'm sorry." She whispered as a single tear rolled down her cheek._

She bolted up right again, heart pounding madly against her chest. "No," she whispered. That would never happen. Never! This was the second night in Jump City that she'd had nightmarish visions.

Well, going back to sleep definitely wasn't an option. So she got out of bed and dressed. Sara flicked on the light to find her iPod, but her mask on the bedside table caught her eye. She sighed and put it on, remembering Robin's rule for masks. You have to wear a mask at all times except when sleeping. Ugh, always with the paranoia!

She wandered around the Tower, trying not to get lost, and to get her mind off of her visions. Raven's room remained quiet as she sneaked past, thankfully. Sara didn't want Raven knowing what she'd seen. Though Raven was beginning to show some kindness, it didn't mean that she could trust her…not yet anyway. Sara didn't know what it was, but something about Raven just set her teeth on edge.

She wandered past Robin's room, past Starfire's, and somehow ended up in the common room. The super computer was still on and its rhythmic hum filled the void of silence. Robin was leaning against the keyboard, snoring softly. Oriole smiled and pulled Robin away from the computer gently, whispering, "Come on."

"I'm working," he mumbled sleepily.

Oriole laughed. "It'll still be here tomorrow, Ro." He raised his head a little and looked at her.

"Five more minutes," he muttered, hardly audible. She laughed again.

Oriole half-led half-dragged Robin back to his room. When they got there, he immediately fell flat onto the mattress and began snoring again. Oriole smiled and whispered, "Sweet dreams." _I sure won't._ : she added in thought. She left.

It was about three hours later when the Tower began waking up. Raven was first to wake. She floated into the room and looked at Oriole curiously, then turned around and started making her herbal tea. "Good morning," she greeted politely. There was still tension between the girls, but at least it sounded friendly.

"Morning, Raven. How'd you sleep?"

"Fine, I guess. You?"

Oriole shrugged. By then Raven had turned around and was mixing her tea as she floated to join Oriole on the couch.

"Why are you up this early?" The only response was a shrug. An awkward silence crept between them. Raven broke the silence. "Ugh, Robin was working late again wasn't he?" Raven nodded to the notes scattered on the dashboard.

Oriole laughed. "Yeah, I found him drooling on the keyboard about three hours ago." After a few second, she added, "Uh, does he do that often?" It was vague but Raven understood.

"He hasn't been for a while now. I think it might just be because of Slade." Oriole noted a hint of resentment in Raven when she uttered Slade's name.

"Raven, may I ask why Robin-"

"No," with that, Raven floated away and put her mug in the sink. She left.

Oriole sighed. It was worth a shot. She turned on the TV and started surfing channels. No matter how deeply she submerged herself with movies or conversation, she couldn't stop thinking about her vision. Did it have something to do with Slade? Was it really Oriole that was about to hurt Bruce? No, it couldn't be. She would never harm Bruce. Not in a million years! Yet, she couldn't help but fear that something terrible was going to happen…soon.

Batman

9:00 pm

Gotham City

Arkham Asylum

It was odd not having Sara around. He was used to having her around when interrogating someone. Whenever he wanted her help, she was always there. It was odd going to Arkham without at least some kind of clever joke from Sara before he left. It was a lot like transitioning after Dick left. Batman pushed the thoughts aside. He was working.

His long cape fluttered behind him as he walked to Joker's cell. Harley Quinn had been acting out a lot recently. It was time to find out why. Normally Harley wasn't much of a problem, but she was having help from someone. Somehow she always got away at exactly the right time. It was beginning to get annoying.

When Batman opened the door, Joker called out, "Hasn't anyone in this joint heard of knocking?" He laughed. "Ooh, hello Batsy. Has my little Harley Quinn been giving you trouble?" He giggled. "Ask her if she likes the hyenas I got for her," more laughing. It was true; Harley's hyenas had been especially annoying.

"What is Harley planning?" Batman snarled.

"Oh, don't be like that, Bats. Sit down and stay a while. Would you like some tea while we're at it?" He cackled insanely.

"I don't have time for this, Joker. What does Harley want?"

"Speaking of our girls how's your little birdie, Oriole? I heard that she went to Jump City to visit Birdie #1. Are you sad now that all of your kids went to college?" Batman hated how Joker kept changing the subject. He had to keep changing it back.

"What's Harley up to, Joker?"

"If I was behind it, do you really think I wouldn't have told you already?" Joker's laughing was beginning to get on Batman's nerves.

"But you are behind it." He growled.

"Oh hoo! Good guess Batsy. But it's not just me. Here I'll tell you a joke. Before I was locked in here, Harley and I had a visitor. He wouldn't tell us anything except that he wanted us to keep you out of Jump City. Don't ask me why. He only said that he wanted to have some fun with the Titans. I thought that did sound like fun, so we told him we'd do our part. That's when you caught me and locked me in this bird cage that both your birds belong in." He bellowed an insane laugh.

"Who was he?"

"I believe in Jump City they call him Slade. Not a very good name for a mercenary in my opinion. It doesn't have any color." Joker went on, but Batman spaced out.

Slade. That name rang a bell. And he was from Jump. Batman decided to call Robin and ask him who Slade…wait. Wasn't Slade chasing Sara the night she was shot? If he wanted Batman to stay out of Jump, he must be planning something. Joker said something about Slade being a mercenary. Then did this have something to do with Sara? God, he hoped not.

Without saying another word to the Crime Clown, Batman left for home to call the Titans once more. He knew Dick wouldn't want to talk to him after last night (Bruce didn't want to talk to Dick either) but they needed each other's help. It would be around 6:00 in the morning in Jump City right now. Not the best time, but Bruce needed to figure this out now.

As soon as he got home to the Batcave, he called Titans Tower. It took about three minutes for the Titans to pop up on screen. Robin was in the background, sitting on the couch. Next to him was the tan skinned Tamaranian girl, Starfire. On his other side was a half-human, half-robot man cleverly called Cyborg. Oriole stood right in front of the screen, her hair tied back in a ponytail. Standing just behind her was a young green-skinned teen named Beast Boy, who looked like one of those geeks that was just meeting their idol. In the way back, sitting at a table with a book in her hands, was a pale-skinned, violet-haired girl named Raven.

"Evening." Sara greeted with a smile. He really did miss her.

"Oriole, Titans. Harley's been acting up recently and-"

"And what?" Dick snapped, standing up.

"Ro," Sara warned, her eyes telling him to sit. Those two were always looking out for each other. Robin sat back down and crossed his arms across his chest. Oriole turned to face Bruce and said, "Continue."

Bruce's eyes stayed on Robin for a few moments more before flicking back to Oriole. "And it has something to do with Slade. I was worried that it might have something to do with the hits on Oriole."

There was an awkward silence. Sara broke it. "That all?"

"I told you I would call if I found anything. That's the only reason I called. Have a good night, Titans." He clicked the Delete key and Titans Tower disappeared. He sighed. Well that did nothing. Batman decided to go on patrol maybe that would clear his mind of his problems with Dick and Sara.

"Sir, I know you would prefer not to hear this from me, but Master Dick is a very smart boy, he can keep himself safe. And Miss Sara is not incapable either." Alfred was standing by the door with a tray in his hands. On it was a bowl of soup. "You forgot to eat dinner, sir." Alfred explained.

"Are you saying I should back off?"

"You are not a child anymore Master Bruce. I cannot tell you what to do. But you should know that Master Dick and Miss Sara know how to take care of themselves. I am not saying you should completely get out of their lives, but show a little bit of trust, and they will respond to it. And for your own sake, sir, don't worry about them so. They'll be fine." Alfred left to allow Bruce to let this sink in.

Was he really being that paranoid? Did he really think that Dick and Sara couldn't take care of themselves? He shouldn't. After all, Bruce was the one that taught them to fight in the first place. True, they both had learned some skills before, but now surely they were capable of going out on their own. Bruce trusted Dick enough when he left. Did he think that Sara wasn't ready? Again, he pushed these thoughts aside as he jumped into the Bat mobile and drove out to go on patrol.

Robin

6:21 pm

Jump City

Titans Tower

He hated it whenever Bruce called, especially when he called the Tower. The Titans made such a big deal about it. Before they allowed Sara to answer, they made sure that the common room was at least presentable. Well, all of them but Raven. That was a given though. Beast Boy was the worst. He was still flipping out about it. Talking about how Bruce looked at him twice. Sara kept rolling her eyes at him, thinking that BB was a complete geek. She was probably right.

Robin wasn't quite surprised by what Bruce had found. He'd actually suspected Slade would try something like this. Sara wasn't worried. She'd told them all just after Bruce called. That was definitely something they didn't share. Despite Sara's rapid recovery, he couldn't help but wonder what would happen if him and Raven hadn't gotten to her in time? And what if the sniper had shot her in the heart? He sighed and listened to the others discuss what Slade was up to. But by now, they were all staring at him expectantly.

"Uh…did I miss something?" Robin asked.

"Why do you think Slade is after me?" Oriole replied.

True, Robin did have his theories, but everyone he came up with seemed less likely than the last. "I really don't know. Nothing he does makes sense. Why would he even care about distracting Batman? Why bother? And why didn't he shoot you when he had the chance instead of relying on that sniper? Slade's not like that. He doesn't like to be dependent on other people."

There was a pause as everyone took a moment to absorb this. "You are talking about you right, Ro? The dependence thing, I mean." Oriole asked. Robin frowned and his eyes became slits. He got up and began to leave. Behind him, he heard Oriole ask, "Did I just say something completely stupid?"

"Robin does not like to be compared to Slade. It reminds him of…" Starfire caught herself before saying anything more. Robin stopped walking.

"Of what, Starfire? What is he hiding from me?" Silence. "I'm going to find out anyway." Robin spun around, hands curling into fists.

"Hey, uh, dudes, you do know that Robin's still here right?"

Oriole turned. "Ro! Uh, I thought you left...wow, this sounds really witchy. Look, I knew you didn't want to talk about this, so I figured I'd ask someone else. They, at least, don't mind to clue me in."

"Why are you mad at me?"

"I'm not."

"Really. It doesn't sound like it." Meanwhile, the others watched the fight, trying to see a bright side.

"Well I never kept secrets. I just figured that in this case the golden rule would apply, but apparently I just wasn't honest enough, or your parents died so soon you never learned it."

"Leave my parents out of this."

"Or what? You're not the type to start fights."

"Oriole, Robin, please this bickering is pointless." Star attempted at her usual peacekeeper ways. She laid a hand on Oriole's shoulder, which was shaken off.

Oriole's challenging gaze met his eyes. Boiling anger began rising inside of him. What was she so pissed about? There was more to this. This was a game, a test maybe. "Why don't you head to bed and wake up on the right side?"

"Says the guy who stays up 'til three in the morning," she returned. This is ridiculous; it was turning into a tennis match. She hits, he receives, on and on and on!

"I don't have time for this." He turned on his heel and left. Oriole followed.

"What? Afraid to fight me, little brother?"

"I'm older."

She laughed, "Touché."

"What's your problem?"

"You."

"What did I do now?"

"Nothing, I'm just mad at you. I know you're a little new to this, but that's how siblings are. We get mad at each other for no freaking reason."

Whoa. "Why are you so mad? You've been avoiding me all day! …Wait, how did you know I was up late?"

"Duh! I woke you up, stupid!"

"Then what were you doing up so early?"

Her eyes widened slightly and her lips twitched an obvious reaction to nervousness. He knew her body language well. The only thing missing for lying was shaky voice and/or stuttering. "N-nothing." That was it.

Robin studied her for a second. Bags under her eyes, drooping shoulders, bloodshot eyes, she hadn't gotten much sleep. Then it dawned on him. "Can I talk to you out in the hall?" She nodded stiffly and followed him out of the common room. As soon as the door closed behind them, he guessed, "You had a vision last night." Oriole considered him and nodded slowly. "Why didn't you tell me? That's what's been bothering you all day? What was it about?"

Her lips trembled and eyes began watering. "I don't wanna talk about that." He was tempted to say something about keeping secrets to her, but decided it was stupid at that moment. "Ro, I'm scared. It was…horrible. I don't know what to do." Tears spilled down her cheeks. Only once in the four years that he knew her did ever he see her cry. In other words, it was very rare.

"It's okay, Sair. You can tell me. What happened?"

She shook her head. "You'd hate me." He was about to deny this, but she continued. "I hate me for this. For what I'm going to do. I hate myself. I rather it was me." She fell into him and began sobbing. "What do I do? What do I do? I can't let it happen. I can't bear it."

They stood there together. She was so scared. Why won't she tell him? Oriole said that she hated herself for something. Why couldn't she just tell him? "Sara, I can't help if I don't know what's wrong."

She composed herself before telling him her vision. "I saw...I saw Bruce. He was hurt. There was blood everywhere. I woke up from shock, thinking that Bruce never gets hurt like that. I tried to go back to sleep, but as soon as I closed my eyes, I saw who hurt him. Bruce was kneeling below a fireball aimed right for his chest. I was controlling it. That's all I saw. All I wanted to see really. It was awful. You didn't see it, Ro."

"You weren't enjoying all of this were you? In the vision, I mean."

"No! God forbid, no. To the contrary, I was crying. I said 'sorry' and…"

"And…?"

"I woke up. But I know that I…that I…killed him. If I'd watched anymore, I would've seen me kill him, I'm sure of that much. Ro, what do I do?"

"Why would you do something you didn't want to? You never do! And definitely not something like this."

"Bodysnatching maybe?" He gave her a funny look. "I know it sounds crazy, but I heard of this kid named-"

"It wouldn't happen to be Jericho would it?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"He's a Titan."

"Are there more like him?"

He shrugged. "I never asked."

"Well, it's kind of important right now!"

"Don't worry about it, okay?" He gripped her shoulders comfortingly. "I'm gonna do what I can, alright? It won't happen. I promise. I won't let it."

"How do you know? How do you know that I won't hurt him? Maybe there's some accident? And what if there's nothing we can do? What if this does happen?"

All he said was, "We'll figure this out. Alright?" She nodded. "'Sides, you told me that the future's always changing, even just by knowing it, right?"

"Sure, it can, but will it?"

"Yeah, it will."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I know you, Sara. You would never do something like that to Bruce. Never. You understand?"

"I know I don't want to, but that's not the point! What if I can't stop it?"

"We will stop it."

"What if I have the same vision tonight or something like it?"

"Just wake me up and we'll go from there-" The alarm blared overhead.

Robin turned for the common room but Sara stopped him. "It's him, Ro. It's Slade."

"Sara, I can't keep running away from him."

"But-"

"I'm gonna end it. One way or the other. I'll end it."

"Dick, just don't underestimate him. Please," Why did she just say his real name?

"Sara…you blame Slade for your vision don't you?"

"I can't find any other reason."

"But Sair-"

The door opened just behind him and all the Titans flooded out into the hallway. "Come on, guys, let's go!" Beast Boy shouted at them as he passed.

"Go, I'll be okay."

"You sure?"

She nodded. "Thanks for listening. Have fun kicking butt without me!" She smiled at her joke. "You remember me saying that to you?"

He grinned. "You hated being sick. I guess being shut up in the Tower is a lot like that, huh?" She shrugged. "Do you want to come with?"

Her eyes widened. "What? But I could get killed-"

"Just get in the T-car before I change my mind will you?"

She smiled and ran after the others with Robin just behind her. Did he just let her come with to fight Slade? Of all people, Slade? He felt like slapping himself, such a stupid idea!

"Alright, so Slade's gonna chase me over the ravine in the woods here, then Starfire and Raven are gonna try to trap him here." He pointed to a spot on the map.

"This is a bad idea. Robin, you could be injured. Or Slade might catch you. Or…"

"I'll be fine, Star. Nothing'll happen."

"No, I agree with Starfire. You're not fast enough." He shot Oriole an annoyed look. "No offense. Look, you have to admit, Slade's fast. Faster than you, but not anymore than me."

"No, a million times, no."

"What? What is wrong?" Star interjected.

"Come on, Ro. You admitted yourself that I'm the best runner."

"Not against Slade, no! That's final!"

"Yes, Mom." She retorted

"Look, Oriole, it's just a bad idea. Slade wants you dead."

"Liar. You know that Slade's not really so intent on my death. Otherwise he would've killed me himself. And that sniper aimed for my stomach, knowing perfectly well that I wouldn't die. You knew that, and you tried to keep it from me! I'm gonna try, and there's nothing you can do about it!"

"No! You're not going!"

"Dude, you can't decide for all of us."

"Agreed. If she is truly a good runner, perhaps she can help."

"I said no!"

"So? You can hate me after this, fine, but we can't afford to screw this up!"

"Oriole-"

"I don't want to hide like a little kid for the rest of my life, Ro. And I know I'm being dramatic, but you guys haven't caught him before. That's because you've always been so obsessed. I don't want to make this your problem, but it is what it is. You always want to be the one at risk when you need to be the tactician. I'll meet you guys at the ravine." She got up, but Robin caught her hand.

"Oriole, this isn't a good-"

"Like yours was any better?"

"Oriole. You can't outrun Slade. I put myself at risk because I know no one can-"

"Who's the best runner you've ever seen?"

"That doesn't-"

"Answer the question."

"You, but that doesn't-"

"Exactly! I can do this! You just said I'm the best runner you've seen. That includes Slade. It means I can outrun him too."

"Oriole-"

"Robin, everyone needs to do their part. Oriole is not incapable of keeping herself alive." Starfire interrupted.

"And last night?" He snapped.

"She healed herself, yes? Then she can do it again."

"But she-"

"Ro, I'll be fine." Oriole ran off.

Starfire spoke up. "Robin, do not worry about Oriole. She is stronger than you think. Besides, if this is to work , we all need to trust each other. If Oriole is as good as she says we have no need to worry."

He sighed. "Well, I don't really have a choice, so, Starfire, Raven, go get into position." A gunshot fired off near where Sara had just disappeared. There was silence for a few moments, but when they heard no sign of Oriole being injured, they all relaxed and the girls flew off to their positions. "BB, Cy, you have another job right now. Slade either wants to distract us with Overload, or he wants something from Wayne Enterprises. I'm guessing he wants something, because this is the second time he's targeted that company. I want you two to go check it out."

"Hey, what about you?" Beast Boy asked.

"Someone has to kick Slade's ass. And if Oriole needs help, I need to be here. Good luck, guys." The two boys nodded and ran off to the T-car. Robin, meanwhile, abandoned the drawn map on the ground and climbed a nearby tree. When he got to the top, he felt déjà-vu as he saw something in the distance. He knew that clearing. It was the same one he had fought the imaginary Slade during that rainstorm two years ago.

He frowned. What was Slade up to? Turning his attention to Sara, he found her doing exactly what she gloated about. She was beginning to lose Slade in the trees. The gun was in its holster at Slade's side. They were heading straight for the clearing. What was Sara doing? The ravine was the other way. Unless…he looked again at Sara. Blood was trickling down her back. Slade had shot her. She was running to save herself. And Slade was chasing her to the clearing. But why?

There would be time to figure that out later, right now, Sara needed his help. He leapt from tree to tree with ease, reminding him of acrobatics in the Big Top with his parents. Another gun shot rang throughout the trees. Robin froze and held his breath. But there was Oriole, still running, and Slade still chasing. He breathed a sigh of relief and began following the two again. Oriole made it to the clearing before Robin was halfway there. She skidded to a halt and spun around to face Slade.

Robin sped up and Slade caught up in the clearing. They began talking. Robin couldn't hear until he was about five yards closer. "-I can't imagine." Oriole retorted defiantly. Obviously Robin had missed something.

"I'm not going to hurt you. …Well, not much anyway."

"Put down the gun and I'll believe you."

There was a pause, and as Robin got closer he heard Slade chuckling. "You don't really think I'll put down my weapon when I know very well that you may use yours whenever you please?"

Oriole smiled. "Catch on did you? Took you long enough."

"Oh, I've known about your powers for some time. They are the very reason why assassins are after you."

"So that's what you want. If you think I'm going to even consider that, you're psychotic."

"On the contrary, when my plan unfolds, you'll ask what you can do to help me…willingly."

She laughed, "Yeah, you wish." Her eyes flicked to Robin then back to Slade. "So, what else do you want? There are others that could do everything your asking. Why me?"

"I have my reasons." Sara cocked an eyebrow, trying to egg him into saying something. "Oh, and you might as well come down out of that tree, Robin. I heard you coming." Reluctantly, Robin jumped down to the ground. Slade turned to face him. "I don't like eavesdropping, Robin. You really shouldn't make a habit of it."

"Like I care what you-"

"And since you've been unable to understand my intentions, I'll give you a hint: you'll find answers in the past." Behind Slade, Oriole's eyes flicked to Slade's hand. He was holding silver marble-sized balls in between his fingers.

"Don't let him-" Slade tossed down the marbles and gas erupted from them, engulfing the entire clearing for about three seconds. In those three seconds, Slade escaped. Oriole coughed. "-Ugh, get away. Darn it. 'You'll find answers in the past'. What the heck does that mean?"

Robin already had his communicator out and was telling the guys what had happened. "Guys, you there?"

Starfire's image flickered onto the screen."I am here, Robin. There was a problem, yes?"

"Slade got away, I need you and Raven to fly overhead and circle the perimeter. I'll call Beast Boy and get him to help with the search." Starfire disappeared.

"As if you'll find anything. He's more ninja than Batman is!" Oriole scoffed behind him.

"I don't expect them to."

"Ro, before you came in, he told me some things."

"I only missed two minutes."

"Yeah, I know, but a lot was said in those two minutes. But we can talk about that later, right now, what did he mean, 'answers in the past?' I know you know. What was he talking about?"

"He wants me to go back to his old Haunt."

"A Haunt? Why?"

For the umpteenth time, Robin ignored her questions about his past, and was calling Beast Boy. "Beast Boy, get to the girls and help them look for Slade."

"Found him." The screen changed to look at Overload and Slade. Both were escaping through the sewers.

"Follow them, BB. We'll be over there as soon as we can. If you catch up, stall them until we get there." The shape shifter nodded and dissolved into a black screen. Robin called Starfire back.

"Star, the others found Slade escaping with Overload in the sewers. Get over there ASAP."

"I will be there." Again, Star disappeared.

"Ro, we won't be able to catch him."

"Yes we will. We have to."

"Again with the seriousness! You know, you're the one that always said we have to have fun! Where is that now?"

"Things change, Sair. Just like people." Before she could say anything else, he added, "Are you okay?"

"What do ya' mean?"

"Slade shot you. Is it all patched up?"

Her eyebrows knitted together. "What are you…Oh! You mean that cut on my back! Why were you spying on me?"

"It was a cut? Pretty deep then if you ask me."

"You worry too much. If I'd gotten shot, I would most likely not be alive right now. Since, you know, that would kind of slow me down, then Slade could catch up and he had a gun, blah blah blah."

"What happened, Sara?"

She rolled her eyes as if saying: _"Really?" _ Robin held his expectant gaze. She sighed. "Oh, it was stupid. I tried to throw a bird-a-rang at him while running…yeah; it didn't work out so well. I kind of had a run-in with a pine branch. Not a pleasant experience let me tell you!"

"What are you talking about? You could do that any day of the week! You've thrown a bird-a-rang with your eyes closed! What-"

"I was a little distracted alright!"

"By what?"

"It was nothing, just flashes. I kept seeing flashes of…You know what? It doesn't matter. It's gone, won't happen again."

"Sara…"

"I thought you wanted to catch Slade?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Then let's go!" She began to walk towards the city. Then she stopped and turned. "Wanna race? I bet you I'll win."

"You're on." But Oriole was already sprinting away through the trees.

He chuckled softly and ran after her.

Slade

7:12 pm

Jump City

The Sewers

Everything was going exactly as planned. Both Gothamites were still back at the clearing as he and Overload made their getaway. The girl probably knew that the Titans wouldn't catch him. Deep down, Robin knew that too.

"Plan work, Master?" Overload asked in his broken language.

"Perfectly. Don't forget what you have to do."

"Yes, Master. Bring her. Yes."

**Author's Note:** *GASP! Well it's obvious who the "her" is that Overload was talking about. But why does Slade want Overload to bring her to him? Kudos to those who got the Harry Potter reference. Oh! By the way, on the Fourth, if any of you want a little fun and get a preview of when the action really gets good, just send me a review asking for it. But it's not a free preview. All you have to do is tell me what you thought and what you think I need to improve on. Trust me, I'm not perfect.

So please review, even if you don't want the preview. Happy early Fourth of July everyone! And for those not from the US, have a great weekend anyway! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! See you on Wednesday.


	7. Chapter 6: The First Step Into the Light

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Teen Titans. Unfortunately.

**Author's Note:** And you're all thinking, what does Slade have planned? Why is he after Sara? Believe me, those are questions Robin is asking himself too. And we'll all find out eventually. Read and review please!

Oriole

Chapter 6: The First Step into the Light

Slade

1:27 am

Jump City

The Old Haunt

Overload was due to strike at 2:00, while the Titans were asleep and the child would be waking from a vision. He'd seen it. Overload wasn't the best agent, but with Plasmus and Cinderblock in jail, sending Overload was the best way not to raise suspicion. The boy probably already had some insight into his plan, but not enough to be able to stop it. Unfortunately, Robin's employment under Slade had given the Boy Wonder some foresight as to how Slade set a plan in motion.

Now, Robin would be waiting for some kind of attack. Cyborg would have already installed the latest security system, and Robin would have made sure the girl knew the risks of going out at night. Whatever made him think she would listen to him Slade didn't know. Oriole was a very defiant girl. In fact, almost all of Slade's plots depended on that single fact. When it came time though, Slade would have to find some way to break through it and get her to give in. He'd been searching for the answer for months, nothing yet. Well, in this line of work, you have to think on your feet.

Slade began setting up his equipment. That would take about thirty minutes, leaving only a few to hack into the traffic cameras all around the city. He wouldn't need all of those three minutes to do that however, so he wasn't worried. Besides, Oriole wasn't exactly one to be punctual. And since she didn't even know about this attack, she might be an hour late for all they knew.

It was 1:51 am. Slade had already hacked into the cameras and made sure Overload was in position. Slade was keeping his eye on Wayne Enterprises. It would be the only place she knew how to get into, and it probably made her feel closer to home. He chuckled at her naivety. He saw her down by the main entrance, just parking about a half a block away. Slade smiled behind his mask. Everything was ready. She swung her leg off of the motorcycle and pulled off her helmet, swinging her long hair. She truly did resemble Robin in many ways. The only change was the eyes. Maybe that's why the boy had taken such a liking to her.

He flicked his eye to the sewage access hatch just a few yards away from her. There was static around the outside. Good, all of the pieces were where they should be. Time to just kick back and watch the show. Sara Thompson walked to the security fence for Wayne's company. She stared up at the tower for a couple seconds, before turning and leaning against the fence, as she had when she met Dick Grayson there (he'd been watching them then too). She stood there for a couple minutes, focused on her iPod in her hands. Little did the girl know Overload was overtaking her position through the power lines near her.

Slade checked his watch. Just then, it struck two. All at once, Overload towered above her. Terror sparked in her eyes and she began to run. The electrical monster stopped her, blocking her path. After trying to skid to a halt, she fell backwards. Overload came closer and the girl began crawling backwards away from him. Slade smiled at her feeble attempts. She was very new to all of this. But she did get better. Just then, she flipped over her head and ran to the alleys. Overload vanished into the power lines again.

Meanwhile, Sara was spinning about, probably looking for an escape route. Then, she ran up the wall, jumped to the opposite wall and grabbed onto the fire escape. Hm, she was pretty good at evasion. Overload didn't do well on rooftops. But before she could get there, Overload grabbed her. He'd become solid just below her. Desperation began to take over Oriole. She grasped her Bat communicator, but luckily Overload zapped it and it went dead. She cried out for help, and Slade's eye checked to the security camera back in the Tower. The red alert went off, great. Robin was first up. He soon realized what was going on and called the other Titans.

Slade, who was becoming desperate himself (though he'd never admit it), called into the speaker to Overload, "Knock her out, and get her back here. Now!"

On the screen, Overload paused for a second, then electrocuted her enough to knock her unconscious. Back at Titans Tower, the teens were just leaving. "Good work, Overload. Bring her back here, then you may do what you will with the Titans." He wasn't exactly worried about Overload vs. the Titans. It was obvious who was going to win. Besides, Slade wouldn't have to deal with him anymore.

It took awhile for Overload to get back. Robin had already figured out that Overload was in the sewers and exploring them. But finally, Overload got back and the girl was squirming to break free. She kept yelling at the monster, "Get off me! Let me go!"

"Hello, Oriole. I hope Overload didn't hurt you too much."

Sara looked up at him, the terror in her eyes returning. "What do you want?"

"Relax, I merely wanted to talk." Slade gestured to Overload to put her down, which he obliged and started back for the sewers, to fend off the Titans.

"It's called a phone." She snapped as she brushed herself off, dust clouding the air around her.

Slade chuckled. "Yes, well we both know that Robin would never have allowed it. Besides, this needed to be said away from the others."

"What do you want Slade? If it's Change you want, forget it."

"Change is nature. It's how the world works but no, that's not it. I wanted to warn you."

"About what? That you want to kill me? Yeah well, I knew that."

"No, that's not it either. I don't want to kill you…not if I don't have to. The assassins were just my way of getting Robin's attention."

"And you want that why? He hates you! He'll do whatever it takes to stop you!"

"Not everything," Slade corrected, smirking underneath his mask. "Robin's not prepared to give up everything. Especially not his team, either in Gotham or in Jump City."

"Okay, skip the mind games! Four words. What. Do. You. Want?"

"He still hasn't told you about our," He took a second to choose his words carefully, "history, has he?"

"Even if he didn't, I wouldn't tell you."

That's a no then. "You mean he doesn't trust you enough yet? Perhaps I threatened the wrong person."

Realization finally lit up her face. "This is about Robin. You could care less about me. Robin's your target."

Slade chuckled. "You took quite a while figuring that out. You must be very new to this."

She shrugged, "Maybe, maybe not."

"Now, Oriole-"

"Wait a second…" Her hand brushed her face, searching for a mask probably. "Oh crap." She backed away a little bit, looking scared. "How do you know who I am?"

"Well it's not hard after I figured out Robin's."

"How did you-"

He waved it off. "A story for a different time, I think. Now, you'll find the Titans down the tunnel and to the left. Goodbye…Sara."

Her eyes grew larger in fear. She shook it off and asked smarmily, "That's it? No threat? Nothing?"

"I will say this: there's nothing you can do for Robin or Batman. Both of their futures are set."

"What do you-"

The door exploded open just behind her. Slade took the opportunity to escape. Behind him, he heard the boy say, "Oriole, are you alright?"

Slade watched her for a second. She seemed to be looking for the mercenary. "Yeah, I'm fine…just fine."

Oriole

12:58 am

Jump City

Titans Tower

Oriole was up early again. And again, the cause was a vision. The same one…only this time, she saw Bruce die and at her hands.. _What do I do? I can't let this happen. _She began to panic after seeing no reason for her to do this, or a way to stop it. Another part of her said: _Come on, Sara. This is Bruce you're talking about. As if you could ever actually beat him, even if you wanted to. Calm down. It was probably just a nightmare. _One where she could smell the smoke and choke over the knot in her throat? Yeah right. _Just a nightmare, it wasn't real. _And if it was? Then what?

_Robin said to tell him next time you had this vision, go wake him up!_ No, he was up late last night. Besides, there was nothing he could do about it, so why wake him for no reason? _He'll make you feel better._ That's not what Sara needed. She needed some answers, a way out at least. _This isn't the first time you thought there was no way out. _It was right, this wasn't the first time. _You got out of that just fine. _Yeah, because of Robin._ Who's to say he won't be able to help this time?_

She remembered vividly what had happened. Sara was assigned to assassinate the wealthiest man in Gotham at a party. She was due to meet Dick at the party, and was introduced to him. Then she found out how much she liked him and she found out who his father figure was. Horror-struck, she'd abandoned the mission. A dear friend, Ricky Coleman, had implored her to just get it over with and that their employer, Harvey "Two-Face" Dent, would have her killed. But nothing would have changed her mind about killing Dick's adopted father. She then took the earpiece-through which she spoke to Coleman-out and crushed it under toe. She ran from the party at Wayne's house until she met Crime Alley. Little did she know, a couple of thugs began following her.

_"Hey, cutie. Those're some fancy jewels there, 'round your neck. How's about givin' 'em to us?"_

_ She ran down to the end of the Alley. It was a dead-end. No choice but to fight. She turned around and saw five men approaching. The leader of the gang had greasy brown hair and wore a tore leather jacket. There was one blond slim man. One was round. Another was big, tall and muscular. And the last had black hair, and a scar on his cheek that ran across his nose. "Back off, jackals!" She said, confidence sneaking into her voice._

_ "Oh hoo! Tough girl, huh? Come on, baby, all we want are them jewels. …And maybe a fun time too, after all that name calling." The leader of the group reached for her. _

_ "Get away from her!" Robin jumped down and landed in front of Sara. His black and yellow cape brushed against her cheek. "Stay behind me."_

_ "Hey, look at that, boys. Looks like the little bird's got himself a girlfriend."_

_ "I said, back off!" He snapped shortly. _

_ "This's none of your business birdie." One of the thugs called._

_ "Yeah, get your own girl." Another cackled._

_ "That was a warning," Robin smiled, as if hoping they'd say something like that. He charged forward and right into the leader of the gang. Then, he twisted around and landed a kick into fatty's chubby cheek. _

_ "Geez, he's a psycho bird, let's get out of here!" Slim called to the others, and they ran off, leaving Fatso and Ring Leader with Robin and Sara. _

_ Robin turned on his heel to look at Sara. "You okay?"The voice sound familiar, but she was a little too shaken to realize that until later._

_ "Yeah, I'm alright. Thank you." She could hardly believe it was Robin, the Boy Wonder. There had been a time when she feared and hated him, when she had to because of her…occupation. Being saved by him…that was definitely unexpected._

_ He smiled. That was familiar too. "You shouldn't go through Crime Alley without someone with you. Especially if in a dress like that." Was he flirting?_

_ She flushed a bright red. "Yeah, well, not really someone to take me."_

_ He grinned shyly. "I don't believe that." She blushed again. "Hey, if you want I could take you home." Just then, the Bat signal appeared in the sky._

_ "Great, just perfect." He mumbled._

_ Sara giggled. "Go ahead. I can find my way home. Thank you, Robin."_

_ "You sure? There are probably other gangs like that one around."_

_ "Go, it's okay. Thanks. Really, thank you." _

_ He bowed dramatically. "It was my pleasure." With that, he back flipped onto a trash can, shot out a grappling hook and scrambled up onto the rooftops. She liked him. Despite all those years avoiding him, she found that he was kind and charming._

_ A few days after that, she was invited to Wayne Manor and discovered the Bat Cave…and Dick's secret. "So it was you that saved me from those thugs."She questioned._

_ He blushed and ducked his head, obviously remembering how he'd flirted with her. "Yeah, that was me."_

_ "And you saved that little girl from Joker just yesterday."He cocked an eyebrow. Now it was her turn to blush. "I was there too."_

_ He laughed. "Yeah I saved that girl."_

_ "So do you flirt with all the damsels-in-distress?" His entire face became a bright red._

_ He cleared his throat. "So, uh, Bruce doesn't like that I kinda let you in on our little secret."_

_ She nodded. "You mean leaving me in the same room with the entrance…and alone too! Yikes, no wonder he's mad at you."_

_ He grinned, but it faded after a couple seconds and was replaced by urgency. "Look, Sara, I can't stress enough how big this secret is. You can't tell anyone. Okay? No one. Do you understand?"_

_ "That's a major duh! Yeah, I'm totally going to tell everyone that you're Robin. Ha! No one would believe me anyway. 'Sides that would do more bad than good…if any good. You really think I want to hurt you?"_

_ Dick opened his mouth to reply, but Bruce cut in. Sara jumped at the sound of his voice, not realizing he'd come down the stairs after a discussion with Alfred. "We didn't know, which is why this was a bad idea from the start." He shot a scathing look at Dick._

_ "Which is why I only told Alfred," Dick snapped._

_ "Alfred?" Anger flared up in his eyes as he looked at the butler accusingly. Obviously this hadn't come up in their chat upstairs._

_ "Sorry sir. But you should hear what Master Richard found on her file."_

_ "My file?" Sara cut in, looking at Dick for answers. He rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. _

_ "Yeah, uh, I just needed to know if you had any criminal record…that's all."_

_ She gave him her best disbelieving look. "Uh-huh."_

_ He opened his mouth to defend himself, but again, Bruce cut him off, "What did you find, Dick?"_

_ The triumphant sparkle returned to his eyes and he turned to me. "You have superpowers."_

_ She jumped back, shocked. "How-How did you," she caught herself and scoffed. "Even if I did have powers, I-"_

_ "You just gave yourself away." Bruce chimed in._

_ Sara looked back at Dick, anger swallowing the leftover shock. "That's why you wanted me to know. You wanted to use my powers, just like all the others."_

_ "No! I would never-" Dick was cut off by Bruce for a third time._

_ "What others?"_

_ Her eyes widened as she turned away from the three men. "No one, nevermind. Forget I said anything."_

_ "Sara? You can tell us. It's okay."_

_ She spun back around, tears in her eyes. "I can't tell you. If I do, they'll kill you too. Just like everyone that tries to help me."_

_ "Who's 'they'?" When I hesitated, he added, "Come on, Sara. The other people that tried to help, they weren't Batman and Robin."_

_ "But, Dick-"_

_ "We can help. I promise."_

_ For some unfathomable reason, she told him everything. She told him about her parents and their deaths, and about the assassins that took her in. She even told him about the hit out on Bruce, and that she was supposed to kill him the night they met. Sara finished her dreaded tale by saying that she got out, and now the other assassins were after her, and maybe Two-Face too. But the one thing she knew about Two-Face was that he wanted Bruce Wayne dead. She knew that that hadn't changed. When she finished, there were shocked faces all around. "Dear God." Alfred breathed. _

_ Dick attempted at a joke, "Is __that__ all? Well, that's nothing. No need to worry."_

_ She threw an angry look at him. "Did I forget to mention that there are trained assassins after me?" Her panic involuntarily got into her voice._

_ "I said I would help you and I will. I promise, I'll do anything I can to help."_

_ "Richard, you can't break promises." Bruce's eyes were strained and his shoulders were tense. _

_ Dick turned to face him. "I know that." He turned back to Sara. "When were you supposed to meet them next?"_

_ "Not until they contact me-" As she spoke, her cell phone rang. The Caller ID read "Coleman." She held up a finger to excuse herself and turned away. "Hello? Ricky, is that you?"_

_ "Dent wants you here. Now."_

_ "Does he know?"_

_ "Just get here!" He hung up._

_ "Who was that?" Dick asked._

_ "Ricky Coleman, he's kinda like my bodyguard, always looking out for me. Apparently, Dent wants to see me."_

_ "Then I'll come. I'll help you."_

_ "No it's better if I go alone."_

_ "You're not going to talk to Two-Face without either Robin or myself there." Bruce was really starting to get on her nerves._

_ "I'm really feeling the trust here, Wayne."_

_ "Trust is built."_

_ "That supposed to be some lifelong lesson BS?"_

_ Dick cut in. "Sara, just let me come with. I won't do anything until he makes his move." _

_ "Notice you didn't promise anything that time."_

_ He shrugged. "It's better than not going at all isn't it?"_

_ She sighed. "Alright, fine. You win. You can come." He pumped his fist at his side, wallowing in sweet victory, she couldn't have that. "On one condition: After all of this is over (if it ever does), I want to help you guys. I want to fight with you guys. Fight criminals instead of cops, do some good with my life you know?" Personally, Sara didn't think her request was such a bad idea. They didn't have anyone with powers on their team (unless the Justice League is included) and she was an awesome runner. As Ricky put it, she was the best the assassins had. But Bruce exchanged looks with Alfred, and Dick rubbed the back of his neck again. "You guys think I couldn't handle it."_

_ "It's not that. It's just…well…it's not the greatest idea in the world."_

_ "Why?" She snapped, daring him to answer. He noticed and slapped his hand over his mouth. "Here, how about we race. If I beat you, I prove that I can handle it and join you guys. If not, I'll still keep your secret and take you to Two-Face." _

_ The two heroes exchanged glances. And for once, Bruce was smiling. "Alright, Sara. You pick a spot in Gotham. When the time comes, you can borrow Batgirl's uniform. Here's the catch though, no weapons and no tools. Nothing to help either of you. But, before this little race of yours, how about we take care of the issue at hand?" _

_ The two teens nodded and Alfred went to go call for a taxi. Meanwhile, Dick and Bruce changed into their costumes. When Robin came out of the changing room, Sara and Robin smiled at each other, his was confident, hers shy. "We'll figure this out. If something happens to us, I want you to start running and head back here. Just keep running and don't look back."_

_ "I'm not helpless you know."_

_ "Against Dent? Anyone's helpless."_

_ "You and Bruce?"_

_ He laughed. "Well, we're not everyone, are we? We're too weird."_

_ "In a good way." She added with a smile._

_ He chuckled, "Yeah, in a good way."_

_ When the taxi came, Robin and Batman gave Sara some last minute tips in the house. When she finally convinced them that she would be okay, she walked out to the cab. The taxi driver didn't suspect a thing. She gave him the address and they drove off. To be as inconspicuous as possible, Batman and Robin decided to drive only to the police station and walk on the rooftops the rest of the way. During her drive, the reality of her situation began to sink in. Harvey "Two-Face" Dent wanted her dead and she was going to meet him at that old warehouse. How stupid could you get? She thought. _

_ She was beginning to get that bad feeling that made the back of her head hurt. She ignored what might happen and tried to focus. "Calm down, nothing's going to happen."_

_ "What was that, kid?" The cab driver looked in the rearview mirror. _

_ She put on the best embarrassed smile she had. "Oh nothing, just talking to myself I guess."_

_ He rolled his eyes and focused on the road. Not the nicest cabby in the world, but whatever. Sara turned her attention back to the blurring street and caught sight of the Bat mobile, just behind them. She smiled when she saw Robin in the back, talking to Batman. The driver groaned. "Ah hell, great the terrible twosome again. Sorry kid, looks like you'll be a little late." The taxi man pulled off to the side, as did all of the cars on this street. The Bat mobile sped off and out of sight._

_ "Why? What do you mean?"_

_ He snorted. "The Bat mobile's better than sirens. Police want us to pull off to the side for 'em. Stupid, huh?"_

_ "Yeah," She was trying to appear normal by agreeing with him, suddenly becoming more nervous (she was a horrible liar), "totally stupid. You're right." She put on a cheesy toothy smile and laughed nervously._

_ The cabby ignored her and took the opportunity to gain a little distance before the cars began to pull back onto the road. _

_ When she finally got to the warehouse, she paid the cabby and met Ricky Coleman out front. He was a little skittish tonight. "Dent's so pissed off at you right now, kid. You should'nta come."_

_ "Then why'd you call?" She teased._

_ "You think I'm gonna spare my hide for yours? Sorry honey, I don't like you that much."_

_ "Haha, very funny."_

_ "Why don't you just go now, huh kid? Like I said, Dent's pissed." He looked around nervously._

_ "I'm not running anymore Ricky. I have to face him." The two assassins walked in together._

_ Robin's voice came in over the com-link. "You in position yet?"_

_ Sara waited to respond for Ricky to give her instructions and scurry back to the door like one of the three little pigs afraid of the big bad wolf. "Couldn't you have given me a minute? It's not like I can talk to you without looking crazy or suspicious."_

_ "Sorry jeesh, help a girl out and she bites your head off." _

_ "You're such a drama que…king, I meant king."_

_ "Uh-huh."_

_ She stifled a laugh and followed the corridor down to two big heavy doors. More last-minute instructions from Robin came in through the earpiece. "Remember, Dent doesn't make any decisions until he flips his coin. Do anything to stall him. Take his coin away, anything to slow him down. When he does flip the coin, that's when we'll come in."_

_ "Thanks. Oh, and Di-Robin?"_

_ "Yeah?"_

_ "Be careful."_

_ "You too."_

_ She walked in. Dent had his back turned to her, flipping his coin in his normal hand. "Hello, Thompson." He turned. She resisted the urge to flinch at his appearance. He gestured at the chair. "Please have a seat."Nervous at his calm behavior, she sat down trembling. He stared at her for a couple minutes in silence before beginning. "Thompson, how many mercenaries in your group have shied away from a mission? And a high-paid one, I might add."_

_ "I didn't shy-"_

_ He held up his mangled hand to silence her. "Answer the question."_

_ "None that I know of," Hastily, she added a "sir."_

_ "Then why, Thompson, did you not follow through with your mission?" He stood and walked over to her, putting both hands on her chair. Inwardly, she whimpered._

_ "Th-there were too many pe-people. I-It was t-too p-public."_

_ "Really? Are you sure that's the only reason? There isn't any other factor? A boy, maybe." Involuntarily, she stiffened as Two-Face walked back over to his chair, clicked a button on his laptop, and a picture of Dick and Sara appeared on the screen. _

_ She recomposed herself and shrugged. "We go to school together. He got some ideas into his head and asked me out, but I said no."_

_ "Asked you out?" Robin snorted over the radio. "And you would not, I repeat, not say no!"_

_ In the background, Batman snapped, "Quiet, Robin!"_

_ Meanwhile, suspicion flashed across Dent's half-misshapen face. "You don't go to school, Thompson. It says so here on your report. Even if you did, you wouldn't be able to afford that school. Why are you wasting my time with lies, girl?" Anger flashed in his eyes. "I have half a mind to kill you right now!" She flinched. He pulled out his coin. "If heads, I'll find some other punishment to give you for failing. If tails, I'll kill you. You know, I would hope for tails if I were you, at least it's less painful."_

_ "Robin, now." She murmured as Dent flipped the coin into the air. Sara's eyes flashed and the coin whizzed through the air, vertically, into her hands. _

_ Just then, Robin and Batman crashed in through the windows. Dent whipped out a gun, forgetting about Sara completely and began firing madly at the two heroes. Batman got his attention by tossing a couple batarangs his way while Robin went to Sara's side, took her hand and led her out the building. "But, Batman-"_

_ "He'll be fine. You got his coin, right?" Sara nodded and got a smile in return. "Sweet! Great job, Sara." Realizing that someone could come out into the hall at any moment he chided himself, "uh, I mean, miss. Really. Uh, excellent work."_

_ He opened the door for her and they walked out into the now-pouring weather. Robin's hair went flat and stuck to his face after a few seconds out in the rain. "Sara, I need you to get as far away from here as you can. I'll find you later okay? Just get out of-" He was cut off by a gunshot that fired off and a bullet whizzed past them and landed just in front of Sara. Robin suddenly changed his mind and pushed her behind him. "Stay back." He whispered to her. Sara searched for her would-be murderer. She spotted a man on top of the roof with a M40 in his hands. When she squinted, she could make out a rat-like face, Ricky Coleman's rat-like face. _

_ "Ricky?" She called._

_ "Sorry kid, orders are orders." And he shot again. Sara's eyes flashed green again and the sniper rifle levitated up and flipped around, aimed right at Coleman's head. He whimpered as the barrel brushed his forehead. Robin let her get closer, not yet realizing what was happening._

_ "I trusted you!" Sara screeched. The safety on the sniper clicked back. Coleman's whimpering became panicked. _

_ "Wait! Don't! Don't shoot him!" Robin got in front of her again, arms raised as if he could protect Ricky, even though the gun was about two stories above him._

_ "He just-"_

_ "Doesn't matter." He got closer and spoke more quietly. "You want to be on our team right? First lesson, never kill just because you can."_

_ "Hello-o? Haven't you been paying attention? I'm an assassin. Killing's my whole MO."_

_ "It doesn't have to be." He got closer until she felt his breath on her cheeks. "You told me you want out. Out of having to kill people. Well that starts now."_

_ An animalistic growl ripped from her throat as she tried to find some explanation, comeback, anything to satisfy her need for blood. Robin didn't flinch. Finding no way to convince him to step aside, she thought about what Robin had just said. True, she did want out. And true, she didn't want to kill people. And this was Ricky they were talking about! Ricky had been her best-and only-friend since she had entered the protection of the assassins. What am I doing? The sniper dropped and the safety clicked back on. Instead, she gripped Coleman with her powers and set him down gently before both teens. His whimpering ended when he was back on solid ground. Robin grabbed a pair of handcuffs from his belt and cuffed Coleman. Behind them, the door opened to reveal Batman, with an unconscious Two-Face across his shoulders. _

Though Batman was the one that stopped Two-Face from hurting her, Robin was the one that really found a way out for her. He'd convinced her that satisfying her animal instinct to shedding blood was wrong, and later she hated guns almost as much as he did. But could he really find a way out now? She sighed and decided to take a ride around town. Fresh air might do her some good. How could Sara have possibly known what was waiting for her?

**Author's Note: **How could she have known indeed? Oh I love cliffhangers. You guys probably don't though. So, chapter 7 on Friday and chapter 8 on the Fourth. Have an awesome day everyone! Review please.


	8. Chapter 7:Memories

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Teen Titans! I swear!

**Author's Note: **I know that this is a pretty short chapter, but I can't have a new character without a past. It just doesn't work. …Except in Bourne Identity, but he finds out his past eventually. So, here comes Chapter 7! Enjoy!

Chapter 7: Memories

Robin

3:02 am

Jump City

Titans Tower

It was late. They should've all been in bed. But no one could sleep now, not after what'd just happened. Sara had tried to make it seem like nothing. The Titans knew better though. And it didn't help her any that she stuttered whenever she lied. When Sara told him that she'd had the same vision about Bruce, he couldn't blame her for wanting to get out. Dick had tried to assure her that everything would be okay but Sara was too distraught to listen.

She was on the roof now, watching the sunrise. Starfire kept insisting Oriole needed him right now, but Dick wasn't exactly very experienced with that kind of stuff. The others kept to themselves, which Robin was thankful for. Silence sounded good right now. Star, seeing that she'd lost in her argument, decided that she would take matters into her own hands and flew up to the rooftop to comfort Oriole. Admittedly, Dick was a little nervous about his ex and his girlfriend talking to each other alone. But then he reminded himself that Sara got along fine with Starfire and relaxed a little.

Questions began racing through his head. _Why is Sara having these visions? Why is Slade after her? Does he really want her dead? Apparently not, considering he didn't try to kill her just now. Is this all some kind of ploy to get to me? Why did Slade come back to Jump at all? What did I expect? For him to be intimidated by me and stay away? Yeah right. Keep dreaming, Dick, keep dreaming._

He wasn't the only one who was a little jarred by all of this. Beast Boy would usually be doing something stupid to lighten the mood, but right now he'd turned into a Great Dane and was lying on the couch, head on his paws. Cyborg would at least be playing video games by now. But instead he was flipping through channels on the TV, not really up for watching anything. The dark mood of the room only made his own mood an even darker shade of black. Raven seemed like the only one who wasn't shaken. To the contrary, she seemed more at peace. Normally, she would've yelled at Beast Boy to get off the couch or to change to something without fur, or she wouldn't be on the couch at all and instead meditating in her room. But she was just sitting on the couch, reading her book. Which, in the light of things, reflected her remarkably light mood.

Then again, Raven didn't like Oriole very much, so why would she be upset? Robin suspected she just didn't know what to think of Sara. Robin wanted to voice this, but Raven ignored him and swiped the remote from Cyborg.

_This is a mess. The team's out of focus, Raven won't even talk to me, and Sara…_ He trailed off. Raven wasn't the only one who didn't know what to think of his surrogate sister. Since they broke up, their relationship had been a little rough and heated. If she thought he'd changed a lot, she should take a look in the mirror. Her change was one for the better though. Before, she had hidden guns almost everywhere in her room and always had one on her. Now, she was disgusted by guns...and her old self. She hated hurting people and fighting, avoiding both when possible.

He remembered the first time he'd met her, back when she almost enjoyed fighting. It'd been a fairy tale boy-meets-girl story, and a cliché one to say the least. But maybe that's why it'd seemed so romantic then. Maybe that's why they didn't realize that they didn't like each other that way. Not to say they didn't like each other at all, just not in the way it'd been interpreted then.

_It was at the Harvest Moon Ball that Bruce held at the Mansion every harvest moon. Dick was getting bored. He'd never been one for parties. He tried to occupy his time by helping Alfred…well, not exactly helping. Eventually, Alfred got so upset with his screw-ups that he suggested for him to dance with someone to occupy his time. Bruce snuck up behind him and said that that was a good idea. Trapped, Dick grumbled and went off to find a dance partner. _

_That's when he saw Sara. She was sitting down and watching the dance floor as people swirled around, waltzing. She wore a long emerald green gown with a matching necklace and pair of earrings. It had thin straps that wrapped around her neck, and a slit on the left side that revealed long gangly legs. Her long midnight black hair hung down to her back and outlined her heart-shaped face. When her head turned a little towards him he saw her bright green eyes, perfectly matched with her dress. _

_They were about the same age, so he walked over to her and offered his hand. "May I have the next dance?"_

_She flushed a bright pink and replied, "I'm not much of a dancer." _

_He smiled. "Neither am I."_

_The red faded from her cheeks as she smiled, revealing brilliant white teeth. "If you insist on having bruised feet."_

_He laughed. "If I get the honor to dance with you, I won't mind. Besides, no one with such grace as you could be bad at dancing. In fact, I should be warning you about bruised feet."_

_She laughed. It was a light laugh and the dimples in her smile showed. She gave him her hand and he helped her up. The next song was "I Will Be Here", by Stephen Curtis Chapman, a slow dance. Mentally, Dick patted himself on the back. He bowed to her, turning on his charm switch. She giggled and curtsied in response. He placed his hand at the small of her back, and she laid her hand on his shoulder. Her hand was soft and gentle, and she held herself with a confident air. She was a little taller than him, but neither of them really noticed. _

_Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Bruce laughing with Alfred. He could've sworn he heard his name pop up amongst the two. He began to lead, mentally counting the steps. One two three, one two three, one two three. She smiled as they spun around the dance floor in perfect sync. Only until the song was half done did he finally see sincere enjoyment in her eyes. Dick had been right, she was a good dancer. Before he knew it, the song ended and he was leading her back to her seat. _

_When they reached her table, she turned to look at him. "Thank you for the dance. I probably wouldn't have done anything else tonight if you hadn't shown up."_

"_My pleasure, Miss…?"_

_She smiled. "Sara, Sara Thompson."_

"_Nice to meet you Miss Thompson." Bruce's voice boomed from behind him. _

_Sara jumped a little, she obviously hadn't seen Bruce coming either. She recovered and smiled at him. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you. Nice to meet you too, Mr. Wayne."_

"_Having fun, Dick?" _

"Go away, go away!"_ Dick screamed at him in thought._

"_You're Dick Grayson?" She couldn't hide the awe in her voice. _

_He ducked his head shyly. "Yeah."_

_She was different than the rest. Just knowing who he was didn't deem him any special treatment in Sara's eyes. But when she looked up at Bruce, something snapped in her mind. Her eyes flicked around the ballroom nervously. Then, she peeked around Bruce and looked at the clock. "Oh no, that's not really the time is it?"_

"_Why, you got somewhere you need to be?" Dick asked, hopeful it was a no for reasons he couldn't understand._

"_I was supposed to be home at six. I'm sorry, I have to go."_

_Dick grabbed her hand. "Wait, how will I find you again?"_

"_I'll find you. You guys do live here. It's not exactly hard to miss. See you later, Dick. Thanks again for the dance." She gave him a light kiss on the cheek and left. _

"_Quite the girl, huh Dick?" Bruce clapped him on the back. Dick hardly heard him. He was too busy rubbing the lipstick spot on his cheek and daydreaming. _

It was much later that he found out that Sara was an assassin. He couldn't believe how much she'd changed since then. She was more outgoing, and didn't seem as suspicious as she was before. He'd had something to do with that he supposed. And he'd found a way out for her. Why couldn't he do that now?

Oriole

3:02 am

Jump City

Titans Tower

The sun was just beginning to rise. The sky was a beautiful violet color. The ocean waves crashed against the shore of the island, the sound was soothing, gentle yet powerful. Oriole felt the ocean breeze lick her face, warming the cold, dark, empty place at the pit of her stomach. The roof door opened. Sara didn't have to turn around to know who it was. "Do you need something, Starfire?"

"No, but-"

"Then I would appreciate isolation." Her tone was colder than she had intended. But truly, all she wanted was to be alone.

"I thought perhaps we could soothe each other."

Oriole twisted around to face her. "What do you have to worry about? Is some maniac trying to get you to…never mind." She caught herself before saying it. No one needed to know what Slade wanted from her. Not even Ro knew that she could accomplish that, let alone do it for some creepy lunatic out to get her.

"Oriole, we are all a little shocked by Slade's reappearance. Robin warned him not to come back. He did not listen."

Oriole scoffed. "And you're all surprised by that why?"

The Tamaranian shrugged. "We are not really surprised. Ever since Slade left, we have all been dreading his return."

"I can see why."

"Will you be very offended if I attempt to…take your mind off of things?"

Oriole laughed. "No, I would appreciate a distraction actually."

"Then, may I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Are you and Robin blood related?"

Sara gave her a confused look. "That's kind of an odd question, but no, we're not."

"Then he is your brother in bond?"

"Ever since he left. Why?"

The alien shrugged. "Merely curious, I guess. What do you mean ever since he left? Where did he leave from?"

"When he left Gotham and before that happened, we kind of…uh…you know…dated."

Starfire's eyes widened slightly. "I did not expect that."

Oriole laughed. "We probably seem like we've been brother and sister for years don't we? Yeah well, that's what our relationship was like before we tied it off."

"May I ask why?"

"You don't have to be so polite about it. I mean, aren't we friends?" Starfire nodded in response, a shy smile lighting her face. "Then you don't have to be so proper. Anyway, back to the case and point, I knew he was mad at Batman and I knew he would ask for my opinion so I had to choose sides."

"Do you not do that often?"

"Nah, I'm the neutral party in most fights."

"I assume you chose Batman's side."

Sara shook her head. "No, but I saw the logic in Batman's side too. I told him that he was right, which is what he wanted to hear."

"Then why did he leave without you?"

"Oh this was way before he left." After a somewhat startled look from Starfire, Oriole added, "What you think there wasn't a real reason why he left?"

"I thought that was the real reason."

Another shake of her head, "No, Ro's too smart for that. Later, BG came home-that's Batgirl-and I got into a fight with her over something stupid; I can't even remember what we were arguing about. Robin tried to settle it, I overreacted, lost control of my powers, and took a chunk out of his leg." Horror struck the redhead's face. "Oh yeah, it was bad. There was blood everywhere." Oriole got a sudden chill. "Batman came upstairs, found out what happened and chewed me out."

"Robin never said anything-"

" 'Course not, I mended it…Well, not completely. There's a tiny scar, but it's nothing that couldn't be lied about. Robin doesn't like making a big deal out of things that he thinks was an accident." She scoffed and looked back at the sunrise. There was an array of colors now, all the beautiful hues of a sunrise she'd always found comforting.

"So, you didn't date after that?"

"Oh I tried to break us up. Ro absolutely refused, insisting that it was an accident and I'd be more careful next time. He won as usual. But then the second fight between him and Br-Batman and next thing I knew, Robin was packing up to leave. He asked me to come with, but…after what happened…" She trailed off, pain in her eyes.

"You didn't want to hurt him again."

"Yeah…" Sara smiled and shrugged it off, continuing with her story, since Starfire seemed so interested. "So Robin said he understood, and said we'd talk over a video link when he found a new place to set up shop. But I know how hard long distance relationships never work, and we mutually agreed to break up."

"That was a very adult-like decision."

Sara smiled and looked back at Starfire. "So, any more questions?"

The alien teen blushed and nodded. "Just one: why is it that you chose Jump City, of all places to go?"

"Another odd question," she thought about Starfire's question, and then shrugged. "You're right. I had a ton of other places I could've gone to: the Justice League, Superman, Flash, etc. I guess it was because, of all of the places I could've gone to, this I've only been to Jump City once, and not as Oriole." At Starfire's questioning look, she explained. "Well, Batman had some business to do here and Robin and I came with him, just as civilians. Robin hated it, said that it wasn't right that we couldn't help people. Once we saw a mugging. All we could do was call for help and dial 911."

"That does not sound like Robin."

"It's not, which is why I'm surprised he picked here of all places to set up shop. Maybe it was because of that day, I don't know. Anyway, I thought I'd see how the city's changed in the past four years."

"But that is not the only reason, yes?" Starfire correctly assumed.

Oriole bit her lower lip. She couldn't deny it. Besides, Starfire was here with her for a reason, to take her mind off of Slade. She owed her at least this much. "Robin was here. I haven't seen Robin in three years. We've talked on the phone a few times, but other than that I haven't heard from him. I missed him."

"I understand. I miss Tamaran as well. If I was told to leave Earth, I would definitely go there."

Silence fell over the two girls as they became lost in their own thoughts.

Finally, Oriole smiled. "Starfire?"

"Yes, Oriole?"

"Thank you. Really, this is just what I needed, something to take my mind off of things. So, thank you."

"You are welcome."

"I'll have to think up a nickname for you. Let's see, SF? …Nah, doesn't sound right."

"Why do I need a nickname?" Starfire asked with curiosity.

"Oh all of my friends get nicknames…it's just something I've always done."

"You consider me a friend?"

"Does that offend you?"

"You are mocking me aren't you?"

Sara laughed. "Touché, so do you already have a nickname? That would make this a lot easier."

Starfire nodded. "My friends sometimes call me Star."

Oriole face-palmed. "Duh! Star, short for Starfire! Why didn't I think of that?"

"So Star, should we go ask the others to come with us for some breakfast?"

"That sounds like a good idea." Together they flew down to the common room, Oriole now content at least.

** Author's Note: **Well, at least Starfire and Oriole get off on the right foot. After all that's happened, Oriole needs a friend right now. And Robin…well you all know how siblings are. After a while, you need someone else besides a brother (or sister, 'cause Robin's probably feeling the same way). And so we find out Robin and Oriole's past. Question or comments? Then leave a review and I'll answer any question.


	9. Chapter 8: Losing It

**Disclaimer:** I dream of owning Teen Titans. Why would I dream of it if I already do own it? Exactly, I wouldn't.

**Author's Note: **Okay, please please don't snarl at your computer when you see how short this chapter is, not to mention the last one. I didn't think trying to mesh them would be a good idea. I needed those parts to be two separate parts, not all shoved together and stumbling over each other. So, as a condolence to all of you, expect Chapter 9 on Wednesday. Just my apology gift to all of you, because I'm so awesome like that (haha). This chapter goes a little deeper into the downside of Oriole's powers, because the universe has to be all balanced no one can have as many powers as she does without some consequences. So, get ready for Chapter 8: Losing It.

Chapter 8: Losing It

Oriole

2:28 pm

Jump City

Titans Tower

Robin had become a little more protective ever since that morning. Oriole didn't blame him. Slade had had every chance to kill her, yet he chose to spare her. Robin would've liked to think that he'd driven Slade away; he was always arrogant like that. She mentally shook herself. There was time to worry about Slade later. Training with the other Titans started in about a minute. Robin and Starfire were leading her to the training grounds at the other side of the island. Since she was a little new to being a superhero, B insisted that she train as much as possible while at Titans Tower. He thought that because he wasn't there, she'd get soft and out of shape. With Robin around, Oriole didn't think that was physically possible.

Because there were six heroes now, Robin wanted to try some one on one sparring. He paired up Star vs. Raven, Beast Boy versus Cyborg, and Robin vs. Oriole. But, because this was new to the team, he had Robin and Oriole spar for a round with the others watching. He said that it was because they'd actually had experience in it. While she wanted to believe him, she couldn't help but think: _Yeah right._ The catch with their fight was no powers and no weapons. Hand to hand combat in other words. Oriole had never fought without powers, not even when sparring with B. Was he trying to make her a laughing stalk?

Both teens unlatched their belts and tossed them away before getting in position. Oriole crouched as an animal would before striking, back low, one foot positioned in front of the other for balance, fingers spread apart. Robin, on the other hand, had a slightly more karate starting form, hunched a little, hands open and fingers curved into a C shape. As if on cue both heroes charged at each other. Robin landed a punch to her cheek, first to strike. Oriole lost balance and skidded across the sand. She dug her toes into the ground and crouched like a tigress ready to pounce. She leapt forward and dodged Robin's swipe to her torso, flipped over his head, caught his cape and pulled him down to the ground. He somersaulted on the ground and was back on his feet in seconds. He smiled tauntingly.

She gritted her teeth in response and bolted forward, intending to run right into him. He leapt over her and landed a kick to her back. She tripped slightly but regained her balance and spun around to face him. They stood still for a second, waiting for the other to dash forward. Sara refused to move first. As soon as Robin understood this, he ran to her and feinted left. She blocked him, and he kicked her right side. The kick was hard enough to flip her over her head and land on her side, full force, on the ground. Her eyes flashed a bright green and she felt anger pushing her to lose control again. He always did this! He always made her seem like the weak one! She tried to force the animal back into its cage, but the beast wouldn't stay in her mind and her eyes burned. Her irises weren't the usual beautiful green. They had turned jet black. Oriole felt the anger threatening to control her. Terror struck her heart.

"Ro, wait." Her voice was faint, scared.

"What, did I beat you already?" The sand shifted as he ran at her again, intending to attack from behind. She twisted to look at him. He skidded to a halt. His eyes widened. "I thought you had it under control." It was curiosity, not anger or an accusation, but Oriole wasn't in the mood.

Fire flashed from her like a wave. Robin jumped away. "I did! Until you had the stupid idea of sparring with an audience!"

He held up his arms again. "Oriole, just calm down." He said it slow, as if talking to a child. That didn't help his case very much.

Her eyes became slits. Smoke curled around her fingers. She growled slightly. It wasn't human.

Dick flinched. "You wanna take a break?"

"No, this is good." His eyebrows pulled together. How could he not see the brilliance in this plan: She wanted to scream at him. _Control, you have to control yourself, Sara_. "Think about it, this might be the perfect chance to practice!"

"Practice what?"

"Come on, what if this happens during a fight or something? I can't really just go 'Yeah I'll sit this one out' not if someone's gonna get hurt 'cause I can't control myself.

"Friend, this may not be the best idea."

"Yeah, I'm with Star on this one, Oriole. I mean, I still have the bruises from last time you…" One look from Sara silenced him.

Raven looked like she'd just won a bet though. "She's losing control of her powers. Oh and Slade's after her. Is anyone else feeling déjà vu?"

"Raven…" Robin warned.

"She's just like Terra! I knew there was something wrong with her the minute she came here!"

"Raven!"

"She's gonna sell us all out to Slade-"

"Shut up!" Oriole screamed, fire coiling around her hands, smoke rolling from her fingertips. She threw herself at Raven and the two began fighting. Raven put up a shield to defend herself. Oriole changed into a wolf, teeth bared, hackles rising. She snarled loudly and bit at the shield, actually tearing open a hole in it. Raven, now scared, wrapped a thick strand of energy around Oriole's muzzle. Oriole scraped at it with her front paws, giving the other Titans enough time to process what was happening. Robin was now trying to pry Oriole away from Raven. As a reward, he was bitten in the arm and thrown off. Beast Boy had also changed into a wolf, his tail fluffed out to twice its size, but lower than Oriole's, saying more than he could with words. Cyborg and Starfire, who had been furthest away, were racing toward her.

Oriole charged at Beast Boy and knocked him over. She then pinned him to the ground and was about to…_what am I doing? This is Beast Boy. Was I about to...kill him?_ Shocked, she backed away as the fur on her shoulders began to relax, and her head and tail hung. Beast Boy-wolf got to his paws and watched her with apprehension, the fur along his spine was still bristled. Cyborg had his sonic cannon trained on her. She saw Raven, scared out of her wits, and Robin holding his arm, trying to stop the blood flow while Starfire fretted about it. _What have I done?_ She backed away further from the others, not wanting to hurt anyone even more. She shook her head again, and ran off.

"Oriole, wait!" Robin called after her.

She ignored him and kept running. Memories of the fight started coming back to her. How could she have hurt them? And Raven…her situation with Raven was already rough, but now…She shook her head and ran faster. She changed back to human and ran as fast as she could, trying to run away from her misery. Sara's eyes blurred with tears. She'd almost killed Beast Boy and Raven. She'd bitten Ro. How much worse could this get? Last time it'd taken biting Dick for her to come to her senses. Now, it'd taken almost killing Beast Boy. What would happen next time? Would it be too late for her to realize what she'd done? …Would she kill someone next time?

Robin

3:54 pm

Jump City

Titans Tower

Robin felt terrible about what'd happened. He knew Sair was a little…out of sorts recently. Yet he still pushed her and look what happened. Raven kept insisting it wasn't his fault, and forced him to sit on the couch, his right leg all bandaged up and elevated on a pillow. Star was close by, at his beckon call. He hated being so needy, but Raven couldn't do more than take away the deep punctures in his muscles. Sara's teeth were really sharp. He was still kicking himself for not making sure he was well protected before throwing himself into the fight.

Though he was worried about her and Slade had kidnapped her recently, Robin allowed his sister to go out and take her mind off things (meaning he just didn't go looking for her). He couldn't take away her freedom just because of his paranoia. Besides, Sara was smart. She knew how to keep herself safe. And, he had to admit, if things did get out of hand, she would be able to lose her pursuers…unless her pride got in the way. _Don't think like that, she knows how to take care of herself. She'll be fine._

He started having his doubts when he checked the time and found out it was four o'clock, however. But, Sara walked in just a couple seconds later, and, wordlessly walked to the sink and poured herself a cup of water. "Oriole," she flinched when he said her name, "are you okay now?"

Relaxing slightly, she turned around and said, "Yeah, I'm fine…How's your leg?" Either unable to contain her thirst or just wanting to break eye contact, she gulped down her water and went back to the sink for a refill.

He shrugged. "It's fine, I guess." When she said nothing, he added, "So…you want to talk about it?"

She turned around and took another drink. Then she replied, "Not entirely, no." Again, she went back for a refill (though her glass was still half full).

There was a long silence. Sara looked a little uncomfortable under Dick's glare. Finally, Robin broke the silence. "What happened this time?"

"You made us spar in front of everyone when you knew you would win." She snapped.

"But that wasn't all, was it?" When she looked surprised, he added, "It takes a lot more than embarrassment to make you lose it. So what was it?"

She thought about this for a second, then shrugged. "A bunch of things piled up together, I guess." He cocked an eyebrow. "What?"

"Why does it feel like you're lying?" Robin suddenly became very aware that Starfire was still there, her head turning to each when they spoke, like she was watching a tennis match.

"I'm not. I just have a lot on my mind."

"Correction: Why does it feel like you're not telling me something?"

"I don't know-"

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about! If you wanna keep secrets, that's your business. But if it's going to cause this, I need to know. Got it?"

"Yes, Bruce."

His eyes became slits. "Fine, you don't wanna talk? Fine." Robin turned away, picking up the remote, and clicking the channel buttons a little harder than necessary.

Seemingly amused by his behavior, she came closer and sat by his injured arm. "Want me to take care of this?"

"Yes! I hate being a cripple!"

"Oh stop being so over dramatic. You're not crippled." She smiled to herself, thinking Robin couldn't see her. Despite himself, Robin smiled too.

"Oh, and Oriole," She stopped what she was doing to look at him, "Don't say Bruce around here."

She laughed and shook her head, returning to her work. His arm stung as Sara peeled back the gauze to get a good look at it. Oriole frowned when she saw the deep bite marks and the amount of blood on the bandage. Dick could've sworn he'd just saw a tear (which was rare in itself, Sara never cried). As her hand glowed a bright green, Robin felt as though his arm had been put in the freezer, then put in a hot oven. He watched with amazement as new skin began stretching over the wound. Then the pain was gone. Oriole stood and went to grab him a glass of water. A twinge of pain flared as Robin tried to move his arm. She returned and handed it to his good arm. "Just because there's new skin doesn't mean that it's healed. Your muscles are still a little raw, so it'll sting at the very least when you try to move it." She handed him water, which he downed with one gulp.

Oriole rolled her eyes. "You're supposed to drink it, not inhale it."

He laughed. "You used to say the same thing when I ate."

"Because all guys inhale their food! It's nuts!"

"So do you wanna go play a game of basketb-OW!" He'd tried pusing himself off the couch with his arms. Pain flared as soon as he put weight on his bad arm. Robin fell back into the couch, cradling his right arm. Starfire was at his side in two seconds.

"Robin, you should not have moved. Oriole warned you against-"

"Don't say 'she told you so'! It'll give her ideas."

"Too late! I told you so!" She laughed as Robin leaned back against the couch, grumbling about where she could stick her 'I told you so's.

The door to the common room opened as Raven floated in. Sara fell silent. Although Dick was screaming every mental 'don't talk to her right now' he knew of, she walked calmly over to Raven. "Hey, Raven." The empath ignored her. "I'm sorry about what happened today. Please believe me when I say I didn't mean to hurt anyone-"

Raven whipped around and glared at her. "Yet you thought about killing Beast Boy."

There was a slight gasp from Starfire next to him as Robin's own thoughts began racing through his head. Kill Beast Boy? She just pinned him! This isn't true, Raven's confused.

Oriole replied to his unspoken doubts, though she still faced Raven. "I would never harm Beast Boy, not while conscious of my actions. To be honest, I'm terrified of what might happen next time I-"

"There better not be a next time! Maybe you have everyone else buying your little act, I don't. If anything else happens, you're out of here!"

Oriole met Raven's violet eyes. "I understand. But Raven, know that I can hurt you."

"Is that a threat?"

"No. And I wish it didn't have to be a warning either."

**Author's Note:** Doesn't it just seem like Raven wants to slap her? And Oriole's really making an effort of making amends…though she shouldn't've added that warning. So yeah, I did say there was karma for having so many powers. I believe in equality. Now I'm not necessarily saying it's her fault, since she can't just get rid of her powers, but equality is not the same as fairness.

So, aside from my monologue about karma, I wanted to tell you that my friend and I are starting to write the Vampire Diaries Fanfiction. More details are in my profile. So, thanks for reading everyone. Please review, as always, and happy summer! Peace out!


	10. Chapter 9:Fun Times All Around

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Teen Titans.

**Author's Note:** Sorry I didn't get this in time. I was really busy yesterday and I swear I slapped myself as soon as I realized I didn't get this chapter out on Wednesday. Okay, so this chapter is very ambiguous and it reveals Sara's first official job. You'll get it by the end of the chapter. Presenting…Chapter 9: Fun Times All Around.

Chapter 9: Fun Times All Around

Slade

3:45 pm

Jump City

Titans Tower

Slade decided to back off for now. Obviously, the Thompson girl hadn't seen it yet. She hadn't seen the horrible fate awaiting her "brother", still unaware of the dangers lying just around the corner. It had been a whole week, and Slade was becoming impatient. But, the longer he stayed away, the less stress she felt. The less stress she had, the more likely it was for her conscious to take over. On the other hand, Robin was becoming a little annoying to her. He was probably lecturing Sara about how Slade was keeping quiet just to make them relax…which was half true. Robin thought he had Slade figured out, mostly at least, but the boy was wrong. He didn't even understand Slade's interest in the girl while she had guessed that it was Change…which was, again, half true. It wasn't Change itself that Slade wanted, but he didn't have any way to fully understand these new gifts. The other part of his interest in the girl was simple: she was very powerful. Though she didn't yet realize it, her powers extended further than normal Kinetics of twice her age.

It'd been about two weeks since Slade decided to give the Titans some breathing room. Finally, Oriole was beginning to show symptoms of seeing visions. The cameras he'd placed around the Tower were working perfectly, and Slade could watch her as if he were standing right in front of her. Her eyes were puffy and bags were beginning to form. Her skin was paler than usual, more so in the mornings. She'd been up at three in the morning for the past three days, and her tone was becoming slightly colder, even to Robin. Jumping at every single unidentified sound, she was obviously more cautious. The girl looked fearful every time the alarm went off and was becoming more protective of Robin during fights. For example, she put up a force shield whenever Robin was about to get hurt. While the other symptoms could've been something else, the last ones listed only added up to nightmarish visions about Robin.

Slade wanted to handle this delicately. Oriole was becoming more cautious and more nervous. She and Robin hardly went out on bike rides any more, which made it slightly harder to isolate her from the Titans. Then again, she was doing that herself. Hardly speaking to anyone, she remained locked in her room, meditating as her fellow hero Raven did. Every once in a while her eyes would open, revealing cold voids of black, no irises. This intrigued Slade. Did she really not understand part of the reason why this was happening to her? Why she was losing control? He had to get her alone, talk to her, or something before she lost control again. He saw his chance when Oriole went out alone one night, out towards the desert just outside the city.

This time, Slade went after her himself. He thought that if she talked willingly rather than being kidnapped again, she would actually listen. He drove to the desert, parked his car near an abandoned building on the outskirts of town, and walked the rest of the way. Waiting until she was focused on something else, Slade watched her from behind a nearby boulder. She looked around first, listening for any sign of an unwanted witness. Then, she sat cross-legged on the sandy floor, and relaxed, seemingly meditating. Still behind the boulder, Slade called out, "Hello again, Oriole. You seem upset."

She shot upwards and spun around, listening for the source of his voice. Slade stepped out in front of her. Her hand leapt to her belt, fingering for a bird-a-rang or some kind of weapon. He held up a hand. "That won't be necessary, I only came to talk." Her eyes narrowed disbelievingly and burned with determination, shadowing the fear concealed within. She got out a bo-staff and gripped it tightly, ready to fight. Deciding to play along, he asked, "You've been having nightmares again, haven't you?"

Startled, she backed away slightly, then checked herself and dug her nails into the cold steel of her bo-staff. Slade almost laughed at the similarity he saw between Robin and Oriole. If he hadn't known better, he might've guessed they were twins. "You been spying on me?" she demanded.

He chuckled. "I couldn't help but notice. How many hours of peaceful sleep did you get last night?"

She didn't answer. Slade took that to be none. "They've been about Robin haven't they? Your visions?"

Her eyes widened, and then narrowed in suspicion. "You've been sending them to me haven't you?"

He smirked beneath the mask, and it edged into his voice. "Believe me, if I did have a hand in that, I would be sure to tell someone about that. Actually, I've never had access to your mind."

She was silent for a few moments, confused and slightly bewildered. Realization hit her like a slap to the face. "You've been Changed. You have my powers."

He smiled. "Not exactly your powers Sara," Her eyes became wider, if that was possible, "but mine are similar, yes."

True fear sparked behind her eyes now, dread and misery beginning to join it. She backed away a few steps, Slade followed with the same amount of steps. "S-stay back. K-keep away from m-me." A shield separated the two, put in place by Oriole, and Slade stood on the border of it.

"You know that if I wanted to, I could just walk through. But I won't if you're scared."

Her cheeks burned and fire returned to her eyes. "I'm n-not scared of you."

"Well good. Then this will make things much easier. Since you are not afraid of me, will you put this shield down so we can talk normally?" He was baiting her into this, but if she wouldn't listen, he would do what he had to.

Her eyes flicked around nervously. Suspicion sparked her pale face. Reluctantly, she lowered the shield and allowed Slade to get closer. "What do you want?"

Slade ignored her. "Give me your hand. I want to show you something." But when Slade reached out, she snatched her hand away like his arm was a viper. "Oriole, don't be childish. I'm only going to show you something."

"Liar."

"Come now, Oriole. I'm not beyond reasonable. You can trust me." In his mind he added, _As long as you don't get in my way_.

"Prove it. Prove that you're worth trusting."

"I don't have time for this, Oriole. Either you trust and talk to me, or I leave. It's your choice."

Her eyes became slits. Slade knew what she was going to say before she said it. "I want to be left alone."

"Very well," _Later then, Oriole, later._ When he turned to leave, he found Oriole's infuriated face not a few feet from his.

"I want you leave Robin alone. You've done enough. There's nothing here for you. I won't let you hurt him again. Get out and stay out." She meant it. Every word, every syllable.

Slade merely chuckled. "This is a game of chess, dear Sara." Her eyes grew bigger at the mention of her name. "While you've defeated my pawns, I've only just begun my strategy. Soon you're castle will crumble around you, and you'll have to make a choice. Save the king, or the bishop?" With that, he disappeared, leaving her baffled and startled at his prophecy.

_She'll learn eventually. _Slade thought as he walked casually away from the desert, and the small girl that sat with her head on her arm, trying to puzzle out his riddle. _When she figures it out, I wonder who she'll choose. King or bishop?_

Oriole

4:12 am

Jump City

The Outskirts of Town

_What did he mean? Castle will crumble around me? What castle? Save the king, or the bishop? What the heck does that mean? _ Sara puzzled over this for a while…until she got bored with it. After all, the detective stuff was Dick and Bruce's thing, not hers. But Slade scared her. What he told her did anyway. If he was a magician like her, Slade would use those powers against Dick. From the information she could weed out of the Titans, they were never able to beat him anyway, other than the times when he let them. And it was all her fault that Slade had even found out about magic anyway. Sure he heard of Raven's magic, but that was hereditary, not a simple gift or object that you could steal. What was going to happen to the Titans? She couldn't stay here forever. She couldn't help them with Slade. Eventually, Bruce would figure out that it wasn't Oriole that Slade wanted, and when that happened he would either insist on her coming home to Gotham, or he would come here to Jump City.

Oriole shuddered at the very thought of it. Beast Boy would be a fan boy head-case, as usual. Starfire would be too friendly. And keeping Bruce away from Jump would be Robin's top priority. Cyborg and Raven…well, she didn't know much about them, but it would be bad. Then Robin and Batman would get in a fight and Ro would be embarrassed when the Titans found out the truth behind the dispute between the "Dynamic Duo." They would find out why the argument between the mentor and the student had become so distant. Wait a second…mentor and student, master and apprentice, king and bishop! He meant Batman and Robin! _Oh my God, what do I do?_ _What do I do? Ro will find out if I don't tell him, and he'll freak out if I do tell him. Ugh, I just can't win can I?_ Deciding sooner would be better than later, she headed back for the Tower.

"WHAT!"

Oriole winced at Robin's tone. "Inside voice please, Ro. The others are still asleep."

He ignored her. "You went out alone? Oriole, are you really that stupid? What if Slade caught up to you-"

"Well…"

"He found you, didn't he? Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

"Yeah I'm fine. It's just-"

"Why didn't you call? I don't care what time of day it is Sara, if you see Slade you call me or the others. Got it?"

"I'm not a little kid who needs scolding for talking to strangers! I knew the risks, but when you hear what he told me you'll be thankful I listened to him."

"Nothing Slade says is ever worth listening-"

"Ro, he knows something about all of this." The reality of the situation began crashing down around her. "Ro, I'm afraid of what he might do. What he might do to Jump, to the Titans, back home in Gotham…to you."

"Oriole, forget about me." He grabbed her shoulders and squeezed comfortingly. Or at least, he was trying to be comforting. "Let me take care of myself, alright? Right know it's you I'm worried about. Oriole, you can't believe anything he says." He paused, searching for something that could explain. "He's like Strange that way. He messes with your head. Don't let him in yours too okay?"

"But Ro-"

"Sair, I'll be fine. I promise okay?"

In a small, fearful voice she replied, "You made a promise like that before."

His jaw set when she said this. "Look, I'll be alright. Just trust me okay?"

A sudden flash of anger followed. "You know, Slade said something of the same thing. And you know what I told him? I told him he was a liar. Apparently you and Slade have more in common than you'd like to admit." Obviously set off by this, his muscles tightened, ready to charge at her in pure anger. But he held himself back. She sighed, and remembered the real reason she told him any of this. "Robin, he made a prophecy. And…it's a little creepy."

"What was it?" He asked. His muscles relaxed slightly at the change of subject. But when she told him, he tensed even more so than before.

"And he said, 'Save the king, or the bishop?' Then he just disappeared. Ro, I think the king is supposed to be Batman, and the bishop is you."

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking."

"And the rest of it?"

"Well, the part about pawns, that means Overload, Cinderblock and Plasmus."

"The castle?"

"Titans Tower maybe or the entire city."

"I don't like this. All of it is just so…cryptic."

"That's Slade for you." He growled darkly. Wow, he really hated Slade didn't he? And while she'd seen Ro just extremely dislike someone, she'd never seen him hate anyone. …Scratch that, he did hate Zucco, but that was a given. With Slade, it was completely different. He didn't just wish Slade had never been born, like he did with Zucco, he wanted to kill Slade. Searching with her mind, she delicately brushed the deepest loathing, the deepest fear in a memory. Robin stiffened as they both journeyed through the past that Robin was keeping from Oriole.

_Oriole was standing in the shadows of what looked like the basement of Titans Tower. She could see Slade, standing over a small, limp, red and green figure. With a jolt, she realized it was Robin. "Oh my God," She breathed. _

_Robin tried to drag himself away. He was so weak. So hurt. She could hear his heart beating fast with adrenaline…and fear. She wanted to protect him. To save him. But this was only a memory. She was just a ghost, unable to do anything but watch. _

_Robin rose himself onto his knees near the stairs, but just barely. "Slade, stop." Such a broken, weak, scared voice. Oriole felt a different fear. A fear for Robin's life. Slade looked ready to kill him. _

"_It's just a memory. He's still alive; you know Slade won't kill him." She told herself_

_Slade's leg swung back and kicked him with all of the force he could muster. Robin whimpered, a sound so horrible, Oriole shut her eyes, trying to block it out. Then Slade said in his silky dangerous voice, "No, Robin. I won't stop. Not now, not ever. I am the thing that keeps you up at night." He grabbed Robin's tunic and lifted him up with unnecessary force. Robin wouldn't fight anymore. The fight had been beaten out of him. "The evil that haunts every dark corner in your mind. I will never rest, and neither will you." _

"STOP!" A blast of energy forced both teens to fly back against the wall. Robin looked up at her with a look of defeat, and slight shock. Oriole tried to stop the tears, but they came anyway. He'd been so hurt. And that tone in his voice had sounded so defeated, and scared like a child. He moved closer to her, trying to be comforting.

"You shouldn't've done that Sair. My memories with Slade aren't happy ones." How could he be so casual? She almost felt insulted by his nonchalant voice. She wasn't a little kid.

"Ro, what happened?" Now her voice sounded like Robin's had: weak and scared.

"That was nothing, okay? Nothing. I'm fine now, see?"

"That was not nothing Richard Grayson! Slade looked like he would kill you at any second!" She fell into him, breaking down into tears. Oriole was probably going into shock. "Ro, I was so scared! I had to keep reminding myself that it was just a memory, but Di, I felt so afraid. You were so hurt. I've never seen you like that."

There was no doubt in Oriole's mind know that Slade could kill. That he wasn't your average criminal. He'd hurt Robin. And for that, he would pay. The idea of revenge wasn't new to her, but the flash of red before her eyes was. She wanted blood. She wanted to kill Slade and have his blood on her hands. She wanted him to suffer, to die in pain by her hands.

But then, Oriole was suddenly reminded of her old life, the life that had threatened countless people. Bruce had been her second target. Her first mission, however, had been a total success, in the eyes of the others anyway. To Oriole, it was a night of misery. She still had nightmares about it. Without warning, Robin's mind brushed against hers again, as he now wanted to know what she was thinking.

_Sara was dressed in a Lara Croft style outfit. Black short shorts and a tight black top to match. There were holsters strapped to her back and ones hung on a loose belt. In her mind, she could feel Robin's presence, but the memory dragged her onward. Her target was a Japanese politician, Kai Tiang. She was trained for this, she was ready. Sara crept forward on silent toes, as Ricky had taught her. Slowly, carefully she made her way over to the long couch on which Tiang was sleeping. She stepped on something on the floor, a paper. Tiang jolted awake. _

_She saw the gun and started speaking in rapid Japanese. Sara raised the gun and clicked off the safety. Tiang began speaking in broken English. "No. No! Please! I give what you want. Please, no kill, no kill!" Sara pulled the trigger. Tiang slumped to the floor like a ragdoll. _

_Sara let out the breath she'd been holding when she heard a voice behind her. "Mama?" She spun around, gun pointed at a little girl, about five maybe six years old, as she came out of a small room, clutching her blanket in one hand, rubbing her eyes with the other. Then she saw her mother's body and looked up at Sara in fear. "Mama? Why won't she get up? Mama?" In that moment, she saw herself in that little girl. She'd taken away this little girl's mother. She'd made another orphan, another Sara in a sense. _

"Stop," Oriole breathed, the memory becoming too much for her. Looking up at Robin's expression made it all the worst. She could sense the shock, and disgust coming off him in waves. She wanted to cry and sob for what she'd done, ask for another chance. She could never get that life back. Tiang was dead. And it was her fault. Oriole could never fix what she had done to that family. That Tiang girl, Aiko, she would never know what it was like to have a mother again, what it was like to have a mother embarrass you in front of your friends, never know a mother that would take care of you when your heart was broken.

Aiko was an oxymoron for her situation now. She was an orphan, yet her name meant beloved. The irony was both a little comical and disturbing. Aiko would never forgive her. Sara would have to carry this all of her life. There was no way to escape it. There was no way to undo what she did. She'd taken a life, and she couldn't give it back.

**Author's Note:** I'll admit it right now: I felt terrible writing this part. But it explains why Oriole hates killing and guns so much now. So, as always, review, hope you liked it, next chapter this weekend, have a great rest of the day! Thanks for reading!


	11. Chapter 10:Day of Worry and Foreboding

**Disclaimer:** No, I unfortunately don't own Teen Titans. I'm going to go cry in misery now.

**Author's Note:** Hello, fan fiction readers! Okay, I really hope you all like this one. This is where things get really interesting. Don't worry, all will be explained in time. Thanks for sticking with me everyone, hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 10: The Day of Worry and Foreboding

Oriole

5:25 am

Jump City

Titans Tower

_Oriole ran faster as Slade began to catch up. She could almost feel his breath on her neck. If he reached out and grabbed her cape it was all over. Desperately she looked around for another way out, another route. With the skill of a practiced runner, she caught sight of a pipeline that went all the way to a different building over to her immediate right. She veered that way and almost ran into Slade, but he dodged out of the way, as she knew he would. Curling into a tight ball in the air, Sara launched onto the pipe and gripped onto it, nails biting into the cold steel. She scrambled up, climbing with ease. At the top, she saw Robin, offering her a hand. Oriole reached for him but then someone shot him from behind, and he fell forward, down towards the street that lay three stories below. "No!" She grabbed for his cape, but missed. Robin landed with a loud thud down on a shorter building…but that fall still could've killed him. _

_ "Ro!" Oriole scurried back down the pipe. Then she remembered Slade. If he got to Robin first, what would he do? Robin had once told her that Slade would never kill him. After that memory she saw, all doubts about Slade killing Robin vanished into thin air. Robin was wrong. She put on the breaks finally when she saw Slade standing over Robin, who was lying in a puddle of blood. Please, if there is a God, don't let him be dead. Please. Slade was just standing there, watching. Oriole ran to Robin's side, skidding a little in the blood. "Ro? Ro get up. Come on, please, wake up!"She shook him, but he still didn't respond._

Sara jolted awake, breathing heavily and sweat drenching her back, neck and sheet white face. She wiped the sweat away from her eyes. These dreams were only getting worse. She was getting more anxious. Her fear for Robin had only grown stronger after yesterday. But she hoped desperately that this dream was just that, a dream. Slade was blocking her abilities so much so that she couldn't tell vision from nightmare anymore. If it was a nightmare, there was no reason to tell Dick about it. If it was a vision…she still didn't want to tell him. She didn't want to hear comforting reassurances. She didn't want to hear, "I can take care of myself, Sair. I'll be fine." Because if this was a vision, that was one thing she was sure was a lie. Slade had been so sure that her visions were about Robin, so maybe he'd seen them too.

Just then, the alarm blared loudly outside. Sara jumped about a foot. Recovering, she went to the closet to change into her uniform. Oriole grabbed her mask from the nightstand, then went out to the hall towards the common room. Raven was there, her eyes became slits as she brushed past Oriole, who sighed and followed Raven. The others were already in the common room, all but Beast Boy anyway. Robin was at the computer, punching in keys when an image of a map of Jump City came up. Two different locations were circled in green. "Alright everyone listen up." He paused while everyone settled into a seat. He looked around. "Where's Beast Boy?"

Raven sighed. "I'll get him." Raven's black energy surrounded her and became a raven as she flew out of the room towards Beast Boy's. Oriole felt a chill as Raven's black energy was activated. Her powers had a strange effect on her. A few seconds later, the raven returned and dropped a complaining Beast Boy on the ground before dissipating into Raven.

"Raven, what's the big idea? If you wanted me here, you could've just woke me up!"

"Not if everyone was waiting for you to get here!" She snapped.

Beast Boy opened his mouth to defend himself, but Robin cut in. "Guys! Come on, we gotta get going." Raven and Beast Boy sat down before Robin started again. "Alright, there are three targets at two different locations. Slade's down by the old warehouse building again, and he sent Plasmus and Cinderblock pretty close to the bridge. Beast Boy, Cyborg and Starfire will go after Plasmus and Cinderblock. I want Raven and Oriole to come with me. It's time to end this."

Raven stiffened slightly when Robin said her name. "Robin, wouldn't I be more help to the boys? Starfire could help you and Oriole-"

"No, I want you to get used to Oriole. If this plan doesn't work, she might be here awhile."

"Yeah, or B might come to visit too." Oriole mumbled under her breath.

Robin was about to say something, but Raven interrupted. "Robin, what if the boys need help with Cinderblock and Plasmus?" The rest of the Titans looked back and forth between the argument like they were watching a tennis match.

"Then they'll call for help." He gave her a "don't argue" look. She caught it and slumped down into her seat. "Alright team, you know where you're supposed to go. Titans, go!" Immediately, Beast Boy, Cyborg and Starfire sprung up and ran downstairs.

"Shotgun!" Beast Boy called.

Robin turned to Oriole. "Oriole, I want you to start running when we get to the bridge, the warehouse isn't too far and Slade will be looking for you anyway. Go to the warehouse, and head back for the Tower when you get his attention. Raven and I will surprise him, and that's you're cue to come back."

"I'm actually on a long leash today? Feeling daring today, Ro?"

"Don't expect it to last," he shot back. She smiled and started for the door. "Hey, wait for us!" Robin called after her.

Raven followed at a much slower pace.

It felt good to be doing something besides cowering in Titans Tower for once. The wind whipped through her long black braid, sending it fluttering behind her with her cape. Her feet pounded on the cold cement rooftops. Robin's plan was simple, draw Slade out and towards Raven. Raven would pop out and surprise him. The rest of it though, Oriole didn't like: going back to the Tower and waiting for the others to get back. Great.

"Oriole, do you see Slade?" Oriole jumped slightly when Robin's voice came in over the com-link.

"How'd you know I had a com-link?"

"A. You always have a com-link. B. Is that really relevant right now?"

"Ro, I haven't seen him since the last time you asked me. Which was five minutes ago!"

"Where is he? He should've tried to lure you somewhere or at least sent some kind of Sladebot after you."

She giggled. "Sladebot? You're not serious."

"Do you have a better name for them?"

She laughed as she jumped to the next building. "I guess I'd have to see them first."

"Alright, I don't think this is working. You've been at it for a half an hour. If Slade wanted us to find him, he would've shown by now."

"Thanks for that Captain Obvious. So what's the plan now?"

"He'll want us to go to someplace that we've been to before."

"Do you mean all of us, or just the Titans?"

"Us, Sair. Me and you."

"Why? What does he want with you?"

"Probably the same thing he always wants." There was a pause on his end. "Where are you?"

She looked around for some kind of ID for the building, and instead found Robin not two buildings away. "Look up and to your left."

Oriole watched as his head turned and found her. She waved just to make sure he saw her. Robin put his hand to his ear and said, "I'll be over there in a few."

She gave him the thumbs up and waited for him.

"Where are we?"

"Slade's old lair, he blew it up after I got out of…nevermind."

"No, come on, tell me. You can't keep shutting me out."

Robin put his finger to his lips and motioned for Oriole to follow him.

_ "Why can't you just tell me? Honestly, it's like talking to a brick wall!"_

_ "Will you be quiet?"_ He snapped.

"_Oh yeah, 'cause I'm thinking so loud." _

_ "Look, I don't want Slade to find out we're here. Not just yet." _

_ "Like it makes a difference! He's probably already watching us. …I just realized how creepy that sounded."_

_ "You think?"_

They crept through the ruins of gears, some with more dust on them than others. "_It looks like someone was here a while ago. After this place was abandoned I mean. See how that gear has less dust on it?"_

There were flashes of Robin nearly being crushed by that same gear. Then Slade's voice saying, _"It brings back memories, doesn't it?"_

_ "You went looking for Slade here without me haven't you?"_

_ "Do you always have to be in my head? And no, I didn't. That was about a year ago."_

_ "Then what happened? Why are you always shutting me out? What are you hiding?"_

"Nothing," he whispered. But his mind was saying something else, "_Things I hope you never find out."_

_ "Why? What do you hope I'll never find out?"_

_ "Can't we talk about this later?"_

_ "You're doing it again! You're putting it off! Why can't you trust me?"_

"This isn't about trust, Sara! If you knew what he made me do…damn." "_Never mind. I shouldn't have talked out loud. "_

Sara mulled over what he had said for a few minutes, considering what he was going to say and why he cut off. If she asked, he would say something like the fact that they were supposed to be sneaking around, not announcing that they were here.

Just then, the ground started shaking violently. The gears started shifting loose, and one was falling right on top of Robin. "Ro, look out!" Using her powers to summon a heat wave, she forced him forward. The gears that had fallen separated them from each other.

"Oriole, are you okay?"Robin called from the other side of the wreckage.

"Yeah, how about you?"

"I'll be fine. Can you get around this blockade?"

"I don't think she'll have to for a while." Slade's silky voice came out of the dim light. On Robin's side.

"Ro! Ro, come this way!" _Slade please don't kill him. Please, don't!_

Oriole's legs buckled beneath her as she felt her mind being invaded. "_I wasn't planning on it, my dear." _

_ He learned to read minds?_ "Robin, run! Get out of there!"

She heard the fight starting: Robin's battle cry, then a gasp of pain. _Leave him alone!_ She felt herself losing control. Now was as good of a time as any. The familiar sensation of adrenaline coursed through her as animal instincts began to take control. Her vision was contracted into a narrow tunnel. If she could've seen herself, she would've seen her pupils diminish into slits, like a cat's. The air seemed to reflect off of the heat as it hit the rubble and moved to Oriole's will. Her muscles strained at the heavy load. Satisfaction took hold as the rusted cogs and gears started to shift out of the way. As the blockade rose higher, she could see Robin and Slade circling each other. …Or at least, that's what she would have seen. Because of her unchecked powers, all she saw now were two figures, both risking her life.

Shoving the debris out of the way with ease, she charged at the taller and stronger of the two, the one who posed the biggest threat. Her legs and arms contorted and adjusted into wolf legs, feet and hands narrowing into paws. She aimed for her prey's front leg. It moved out of her way before she got a chance to grip it in her jaws. Oriole growled at her prey, telling it that she would kill it soon. It made a deep guttural noise in the back of its throat which her mind registered as a low chuckle. "Come now, Sara. We both know you won't win this fight."

The words meant nothing to her, but the voice was taunting, challenging. Her lips pulled back, revealing long, gleaming white fangs. Her snarl echoed around the large space. Her prey laughed again.

The smaller one behind him said some more words, but now they didn't register at all. The voice was slightly higher than the older one and its smell was also male. He charged at the older and was caught in a choke hold. Now was the best time to strike. Her paws kicked up dust and raced toward her enemies, claws clicking against the cold cement ground. The bigger one rolled out of the way, leaving the younger to fend for himself. She landed on top of him, her muzzle inches from the smaller's throat. His heartbeat pounded in her ears as he struggled to get free.

Trying to calm it, she reached out and brushed against his mind. Millions of memories flashed before her eyes, and then his words began to make sense. "Oriole it's me! It's Robin!"

Robin? She wasn't thinking about killing Robin, her prey where had it-?…oh God. Not again. Before letting him up, she looked around for Slade, and saw Raven instead just before her powers knocked her away from Robin. Oriole's back hit a large gear. She yelped and fell to the ground in a heap of fur, changing back ever so slowly into Oriole. When she opened her eyes, Raven was helping Robin back onto his feet. Robin smiled at Raven and said, "Didn't I tell you to wait for me to call you?"

Raven shrugged and turned to Oriole. If there had been any laid back or happy look on Raven's face, it transformed into a cold stare of hate. Oriole picked herself up off the ground, but didn't approach either Titan, partially from fear of hurting them, partially from the burning loathing in Raven's eyes. "I warned you Oriole."

"Raven, cool it. It wasn't her fault."

"It doesn't matter. She knew what would happen if she lost it again."

Robin frowned. "I seem to remember you losing your temper on several-"

Raven whipped around, anger blazing in her violet eyes. "Did she tell you about meeting Slade out in the desert?"

How did Raven know about that? Oh and why did she have to tell Robin? Predictably, Robin looked back at Oriole and accused, "You're meeting with Slade?"

"No! I…It wasn't...ugh. Look, I had to get out of the Tower. The nightmares were getting so bad, I just had to get out, clear my head, you know. Slade found me. And actually yes, I did tell you! Yesterday I told you that weird prophecy he told me, remember?"

Robin sighed with relief. He was about to say something when his communicator rang. "Yeah?"

"We are victorious. We have already escorted the monsters back to the prison and are going to the home. You are also victorious, yes?"

"Not exactly. But I think I have some idea of what's going on, I'll explain when we get back home. Great work guys." He clicked it shut. "Let's call it a day."

_Home? So he doesn't even see Gotham as his home anymore?_ She mentally shook herself. She knew he felt this way, so why was it so hard to hear him say it?

Oriole was first to leave, eager to get out from under Raven's scorching gaze.

Raven

9:21 am

Jump City

Titans Tower

"Are you sure it's safe to have her around?"

"Oriole's not dangerous. I've known her for a while."

"We thought we knew Terra too."

"You know you're trying to make her seem like Terra. Do you want something like that to happen again?"

Raven and Robin bickered about Oriole in Robin's room. It was later in the day, just after Oriole had lost control. Raven was finally voicing her thoughts on Oriole, and it felt good to let out her emotions. "Of course I don't. Robin, she's dangerous. Oriole almost killed you! And not to mention Beast Boy!"

"It wasn't her fault! She just has issues sometimes."

"You can't keep defending her Robin. That's twice now she's gotten so close to killing someone."

Robin looked a little exasperated at Raven. She started to think that maybe this wasn't the best time to talk about this with him but she wasn't about to put it off any longer. "And she hates herself for it after! Look, Raven, Oriole's pretty new at using her powers at this kind of level. She doesn't know what she's doing half of the time. That's why she's here. Gotham is a lot worse than Jump City. Batman wants her to learn here for a few weeks, then we'll ship her off to Gotham."

Raven sighed, knowing she wasn't getting anywhere with this. "Fine. Then just tell me this, what's wrong with you and Starfire?"

Robin straightened a little. Pulling the edge of his collar he spluttered, "Uh, um…well…Starfire thought that Oriole and I…uh…were still a couple, which we're not, and she got a little worried."

"You and Oriole dated?" In Raven's mind the words, _That explains a lot _were running through her head.

His cheeks were a bright red now as he rubbed the back of his head. Now that Raven was looking, she noticed there were multiple pictures of Oriole and Robin together. While Robin was distracted trying to get himself to stop blushing, Raven went to the far wall and found a picture of Robin and Oriole. She almost laughed when she saw the penciled in masks on both teens in the pictures. Oriole was on Robin's back, laughing and clinging onto his neck. Robin was holding her up and laughing with her. Obviously there had been simpler times between the two.

A shadow loomed over her. "That was taken just before I left. She caught me off guard and got on my back. Almost knocked me over." Robin chuckled. Raven handed the picture to him, and he replaced it back on the shelf. "She wasn't always Oriole. Once upon a time she didn't even know anything about Gotham. She was just visiting."

"With her parents?"

Robin shook his head. "Her parents died when she was four. She'd been living alone for awhile before we met."

This new information gave Raven a new perspective of Oriole. "What happened to her parents?"

"Murdered," Robin replied without emotion. But there was some emotion stirring inside of him, something he'd kept bottled up. Raven focused on it, but it was hard to identify. It wasn't pity like Raven had expected, but something else. Something inward. A flood of memories washed over her. _Robin's parents were falling, falling from the trapeze where a younger Robin sat, tears in his eyes. Seeing Tony Zucco and wanting him dead._ The last one wasn't about his parents, but Oriole's voice._ "When my parents died, I wanted that man dead. But I couldn't kill him. I knew it was wrong."_

"_I know how you feel."_

"_Yeah, but at least you had Bruce and Alfred around. I didn't have anybody. You had it easy."_

Robin must've known she'd seen these memories, for he said, "Oriole was right. I did have it easy. I had people who cared enough to help me. She didn't. She lived on the streets until five years ago, when Batman and I found her. We found out about her powers a while after we took her in."

"And you kept her around? Did you know she could be dangerous?"

Robin turned to look at her. He stared at her for a long time, then bent down and pulled up his pant leg. On his calf were scars, shaped like bite marks. "That happened about five weeks before I left. Batman only really focused on the fact that she could actually shape shift and didn't say anything. And the fact that she lost control from time to time."

"He didn't yell at her?" Going through what little she knew about Robin's former mentor, she was a little confused. Robin had always said how hard he was pushed while working with Batman.

Robin laughed. "Oh he yelled at her alright. She didn't talk to either of us for a couple days, partially because she was sorry to me, partially because she was worried that whatever she said could cause him to yell some more at her."

"How long did it take for her to lose control again?"

He stared at her. "Raven, did you understand anything that I said? That was the only time in Gotham that she ever lost it. …Well, okay there was this other time with the Joker, but he was the only one hurt. …Like seriously hurt. Needed surgery kind of hurt."

Raven wasn't listening anymore. Without knowing it, Robin had told her everything she had wanted to know. No matter what Robin did, Raven's mind was set. Oriole was dangerous, and she needed to get the hell out of Jump City.

Robin

6:32 pm

Jump City

Titans Tower

It was just after supper. Robin was walking back to his room with a half-eaten cheeseburger in his hand. His discussion with Raven didn't really seem to change the empath's mind about Sara, but at least Robin now knew just how deeply Raven worried about Oriole. Raven's arguments had almost put seeds of doubt in his mind, but the disappeared as soon as they'd come. Oriole wasn't like Terra. Robin knew her ten times better than Terra. Oriole was like his sister. And whether Raven knew liked it or not, he trusted her with his life. But the fact was, Raven didn't like it.

Robin sighed and waited for his door to slide open at his approach. When it opened, Oriole was sitting at his desk, rifling through documents and criminal records. "What are you doing?" She looked at him briefly, then went back to whatever the hell it was she was doing without saying anything. "Oriole, what are you doing?" He asked again.

She sighed and slammed the papers back on his desk. Oriole spun around to face him, burning determination blazing in her green eyes. She only said one word, "Spill."

"Spill what?" Robin asked, but knowing where this conversation was going.

"Don't give me the innocent act Richard Grayson! What are you hiding from me?"

Robin ran to the door and locked it, making sure no one could hear them. "Are you insane? Someone could've heard you!"

"Good! That would dissolve at least some of the lies and deceit going on here!"

"Oriole, I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Oh, so there's more than one thing you're keeping from me?" She snapped, her eyes piercing him like daggers.

"Sara, I've been perfectly honest with you."

"Not where Slade's concerned you haven't!"

Not that. Every time Sara brought up his past with Slade, Robin purposefully avoided her. Wasn't that enough of a message? Didn't she understand it was too painful to talk about? Didn't she know that he didn't want her to hate him, or judge him for what he did in the past? Couldn't she understand at least that? "Not now, Sara."

"See! There you go again! Shutting down whenever Slade is mentioned. Honestly, Di? What the hell?"

Robin did a double take. Did she really just swear? Sure she had in the beginning but now she felt the same way about swearing as she did about guns. She must really be pissed. "Look, Sara, I don't want to talk about it."

"Why are you shutting me out all the time? If it's some protecting me bullshit, you can stop wasting your time. Maybe I can help with Slade, ever think about that? Before you know it, I'll be jumping to conclusions, like that lie about you being Slade's apprentice. Do you see how ridiculous it's getting. I mean you would never do something like that. Am I right?" He stared at her. How did she know? Did Slade or one of the guys tell her? If so, why hadn't she said anything until now? "Ro, am I right?" She correctly assumed his silence to be a no. Her eyes were the size of saucers. "What? Robin, why didn't you tell me? I could've-jeez." Now it was her turn to be taken aback. She ran a hand through her hair and sat down on his bed.

"Sara…it's not…let me explain." She said nothing. She just kept staring at him in shock. Robin took a deep breath and began to tell the story. He told her everything…well, almost everything. The dust incident was conveniently left out. When he finished, Robin closed his eyes, steeling himself against the betrayal or shame in her eyes. He opened his eyes, and looked into her now very pale face. There was no betrayal or shame. There was only pity, a sadness of sorts. There was also understanding in her dark green eyes.

Then, she stood…and hugged him. This move of comfort shocked him, but he hugged her back, allowing himself to be immersed in her sweet scent of ginger and vanilla. When they broke apart, she smiled mischievously. Then she began laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"You're so short that I can put my chin on your head." He punched her arm delicately. She laughed. "I'm just amazed you kept it from me for, what, three years?" She shook her head. "You're too stubborn sometimes you know that?"

They laughed. Robin felt as though a large load had been lifted off his chest. But then he remembered their position, and the weight on his chest returned. If Slade wanted to get to Sara, he'd have to go through him first.

Slade

1:12 am

Jump City

The Haunt

Slade waited patiently for Oriole to come. He knew that the vision would come this night, partially because he was sending it to her…all of them. Slade smiled to himself at his brilliance. If there was any way of tantalizing the girl, threatening her family was it.

"Slade." Oriole was behind him, standing by a pile of rusting gears.

"Oriole, welcome. Have you recovered from your little…accident this morning?" He turned to see her reaction.

She looked away at the thought and said, "If you want me to leave, just say the word."

"Well, I think that would be rather rude of me. It's not every day I have a guest. Besides, if you're here, you must have something to say."

Oriole nodded, seemingly not really knowing how to begin. "I…I want to take you up on your offer."

Slade's grin broadened. He'd been pretty imaginative with Robin's death this time around. Death had come much slower and been much more painful. Slade thought he did a good job. "You've had another vision?"

She nodded stiffly. "I'll do whatever it takes. But I want you to promise that whatever you have me do will save him."

"Of course, my dear. Why else would I offer such things?" She shifted her weight from right to left, awkwardly. Slade took a hint. She knew. Amused, he responded with, "So Robin told you about our…disagreements in the past?"

Her mind was screaming, "_Disagreement? That's a major understatement!"_ But what she said was completely different, and Slade chose to pay no attention to her thoughts. "Yes, he did."

"Very well. The only thing that will change the future you saw is for Robin to come with me. And we both know he won't go willingly."

The girl didn't say anything for a short silence. For a moment, Slade thought she would say no and leave right there and then. "Just tell me what I need to do."

**Author's Note:** NO! Don't do it Oriole! At least, that's what I bet you're all thinking. Mainly because everyone knows by now that Slade should not be trusted and I completely agree. If I was given a choice between going with that creep or dying (I know this sounds melodramatic), I would choose dying. So, the plot thickens! Review, as always. Thanks for reading, see you next week…unless I decide to post it sooner, which I might. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Adios.


	12. Chapter 11: The Betrayal

**Disclaimer:** Does it really make sense for me to write a fanfiction about Teen Titans if I own it? No, no it doesn't. So the answer? No, I don't own Teen Titans.

**Author's Note:** You guys have no idea how long I have waited for this chapter. But it's finally out! YAY! Oh, I'm so happy with myself. On Thursday, I stayed up until midnight just so I could update this chapter exactly on Friday. That is how excited I am for this! Okay, presenting Chapter 11.

Chapter 11: The Betrayal

Oriole

12:52 am

Jump City

Titans Tower

_Oriole sat up. Her back ached. Smoke clouded the air and disguised every shadow. "Ro?" She called out. There was no answer. Painfully, she stood up, her eyes sweeping across the street, trying to see through the thick smoke. She began walking. __ "Ro?" She called over and over, hoping for some sign that he was all right. She would've run, but her back was just too sore. She hobbled along, checking under the newly loosened rocks, no luck. Just then, she stumbled over something metal. Oriole got rebalanced and waddled over to the R-cycle, lying on its side and in pretty bad shape. "Robin? Robin, where are you?" She called again. She heard a small grunt of pain, and Robin's red shirt came into view as he limped into sight. "Ro!" She breathed a sigh of relief._

_ Sara blinked against a blur of color. Then she was back on the rooftop, running from Slade again. This time, tears soaked her face. She looked behind her to see if she was being followed. When she turned forward again, Sara stared into the barrel of a gun. She skidded to a halt and sucked in a short breath, hardly daring to breathe much more than that from fear. "Thanks for the help, my dear." Slade taunted from behind the gun, wanting those to be the last words Oriole would ever hear. Time seemed to go in slow-motion. She heard the trigger being pulled as a shout from beside her screamed "NO!" Out of nowhere, Robin jumped in between the bullet and Oriole. The bullet slid between his ribs, right into his heart. She caught him as he fell, blood drenching Oriole's fingers as she screamed in terror and shock. "Robin!"_

Sara sat up quickly, breathing heavily. A dream? Was it really only a nightmare? It must've been. Only Sara's imagination would come up with something like this. She looked at the clock. 1:00 am. She groaned and rolled back over, trying to get back to sleep. But her thoughts kept going back to the nightmare. She tried to push the thought away and closed her eyes. _Sobs racked her body as she held Robin's bloodied form in her arms._ "No!" She sat up again, fighting back tears. This had been too real to be a nightmare. Or at least, it wasn't a regular one. It was too vivid. Too real. She could still smell the blood on her hands, still hear the deafening gunshot, still feel the scream in her throat. She knew that this was a vision. It was the future. Some part of her knew that, but she didn't listen. She didn't want to.

She curled back up into a ball and waited for sleep to come. Trying every trick she knew, she tried to get rid of that nightmare so that it wouldn't come back ever again. But as soon as she closed her eyes, she saw her nightmare spring back to life. _Robin's breath became more ragged. He was getting weaker. Desperately, she tried healing him. She tried everything, but to no avail. It was too late. He was going to die. _Sara's eyes snapped open and she began sobbing into the pillow.

Getting a hold of her emotions, she felt a strange feeling of claustrophobia. She stood, retrieved her jacket from her closet and the mask from the bedside table, and slid open her window.

The fresh ocean air caressed her face, welcoming her out into the chilly California morning. She jumped out and changed into a small bird, funnily enough, an oriole. She landed as a human on the rocky shore of Titans' Island. Enough was enough. She had to stop this. All of it. She no longer cared that Robin might hate her forever. If going to Slade meant that Robin would live, even if it meant he would never forgive her, then that was what she had to do. But the idea of losing a friend, especially Dick, caused her to pause. She was already on the bridge, and a car was coming towards her. She blinked against the car's bright lights coming towards her. _Robin's blood began soaking into her gloves, tingeing them crimson._

"I won't let this happen. No matter the cost, this can't happen." She told herself. Knowing where Slade would be waiting for her, she headed for the old bunker that lay deep below the Wayne Enterprises building.

It was ironic Slade would go there. It was almost as if he were pointing and laughing at the fact no one had found him yet. The bunker had been built by Bruce's grandfather, who founded the Jump City Wayne Enterprises branch and paid for its production. It was about fifty yards underground and had three inches thick steel walls (needless to say very expensive and hard to find at that day and age). Bruce knew about it, sure, but he didn't let anyone go near it. It was dangerous down there: the tunnels could cave at any second.

When she finally found the hidden bunker's entrance, she jiggled the handle. It was unlocked. Wondering if she'd made a mistake, she pushed the door open. Well, it was definitely the right place. There were computer monitors on one end, reminding Sara of the style Slade had set up his Haunt. The only reason she knew anything about Slade's Haunt was from Robin's memories and the time they went there before. In the center, there was a throne-like metal chair again reminiscent of Slade's Haunt.

Slade was standing beside it, his back to Oriole. "Slade." She stepped into the eerie lone light bulb hanging from a wire above her.

Without turning, he said, "Welcome, Sara."

Throughout the duration of the conversation, Oriole's mind was elsewhere. She was remembering Dick coming back just last year. There was a party coming up soon and the press was getting irritatingly persistent in their discussion about Dick. So he was summoned back to Gotham. Later, when she had questioned Dick just yesterday, she found out that he'd come back just after the dust incident. Dick had told her that too, though he'd tried to avoid it. She remembered how grumpy he had been, and now she remembered him talking to her about Slade.

"_Slade's just another lunatic out to destroy the team. It's not a big deal. I mean, you and Bruce deal with that kind of thing nonstop." _

But now that she knew so much more about Slade, she knew that he wasn't just a villain. He was dangerous, more menacing than them. He knew how to get what he wanted, and was willing to do whatever it took to get it. Suddenly, and without Oriole completely knowing why, Slade stopped talking. Slade was waiting for her to answer. Just when she was beginning to have doubts about what she was about to do, there was another piece of the vision. _Robin looked up at her. She wished she could see his blue eyes to tell what he was thinking. It probably took all the strength he had left to whisper his last words. "I'm sorry I couldn't show you Disney World, little sis." He smiled weakly. Then, his breath quivered and he died._

Oriole held back tears. Dick had been shocked when she told him she'd never been to an amusement park. He had then told her that someday he would take her to the best amusement park in the country, Disney World.All of her doubts were immediately erased. She looked Slade boldly in the eye and said, "Just tell me what I need to do."

They'd just watched a late scary movie, and everyone was heading off to bed. Unfortunately, Sara's room was in the same hallway as Raven's, so they walked together back to it in silence. As they were about to part ways, Oriole muttered "Goodnight," and walked to her room.

Raven's voice stopped her. "Oriole, could we talk for a second?" Her voice sounded strained.

Sara sighed and spun around to face her. "Sure, what about?"

She took a few paces towards Oriole and began nervously, "Well, I don't think I've been very welcoming, is all. So, um, welcome to Jump City, Oriole."

Oriole sighed again inwardly with relief. That's all it was. "Oh. Thank you, Raven. Well, um, good night!" Sara went back to her door.

"Wait, there's something else." Again, Oriole turned around to face her. Raven rubbed her arm awkwardly. "Well, I…I wanted to...to apologize."

Confused for the second time this night, the Gothamite asked, "For what?"

"Well, I haven't been very nice to you. And…I thought…well…that we couldn't trust you. I don't mean that personally! It's just that…I've never met another telepath before that wasn't from Azarath. It kind of scared me. And I'm sorry I didn't trust you."

What brought this on? Did Robin talk her into it or something? But the look on Raven's face was sincerity. She truly meant it. Oriole was touched. "That's not your fault, Raven. To be perfectly honest, I didn't really know what to think about you. Not any of the Titans really. Robin told me a lot about you guys during our webcam chats, but I didn't picture you all to be as much like the JLA as he made it sound."

Raven looked heartened at this praise, but to Sara, that had just been an unintentional insult. "Okay that came out wrong. I didn't mean it like that. I just mean that I didn't think you would be as random as the JLA. …I mean your powers."

"Oriole," Oriole shut up, "that was a compliment." Raven's eyes shone with pride and confidence. "Thank you. Now you just have to convince Robin that we're like the Justice League and we'll be set!" Was that a joke?

Oriole laughed. "Yeah, he thinks too much like Br-Batman to praise himself. B always contradicts Superman's optimistic output on things. And he-" Yawn. "He doesn't like that Robin's made a permanent settlement in Jump." Yawn.

Raven smiled. "You should get some sleep."

She grinned. "I guess I'm not as nocturnal as Robin and Batman, am I? That'll change though." She yawned again. "Ro said he'd take me on a patrol with him and Beast Boy at midnight tomorrow, just to see how I do. He said that that's how they broke Batgirl in with the late nights." _Even though that will never happen._ There wouldn't be a patrol with both Robin and Beast Boy at midnight tomorrow. By then, Robin and Oriole would be with Slade. If their plan worked, that is.

"Yeah, so you should get some rest tonight so that you're not slowing them down." Oriole smiled at her. Relief swept through her as she said goodnight to Raven and closed her door. She relished in the fact that she was now on friendly terms with all of Robin's team. But the fact that this would be short lived only depressed her again. Oh, Raven, if only you knew. She slipped into some pajama pants and a cami, brushed her teeth and crawled into bed.

Oriole couldn't sleep that night. There just was no way. So many things tomorrow depended on her ability to pretend to be cheerful and optimistic. Raven would surely realize something was wrong. She supposed she could make up something but the truth was, flat-out lying wasn't one of Oriole's strong suits. The reality of the situation finally began pressing down on her. If Robin ever found out she was the one that sold them out, he would hate her. Sure, she was probably being dramatic, but the fact was, she was scared. What if all of this was a lie? What if Slade could truly send her false visions? What if, God forbid, what if Robin lost himself while they were with Slade? What if he became like Slade?

All it took for her to stop doubting herself was to remember the feel of Robin's lifeless body in her arms. _He would do anything to save my life, why shouldn't I do the same for him?_ But then another small part of her said: _but would he do something this terrible? Saving his life isn't terrible. You know all about his past with Slade, Sara. Why would he understand? All he'll be able to see is that you betrayed him. _

It was past five o'clock when she finally fell asleep. She woke up to a bleeping sound coming from her laptop. A new email. She brought it up onto the computer. It was from Slade. Sara sighed and opened it. It was just a couple of lines.

You pick the time and place of capture. Robin's not going to come willingly. I need all of the details.

Sara ran her fingers through her hair. After this, there was no going back. Again, the image of Ro dead imprinted itself on the inside of her eyelids. She took a deep breath to clear her mind. There would be no going back, she decided.

Cinderblock roared loudly in anger as Cyborg's sonic cannon shoved him backward. "Booya!"

But he spoke to soon. Right at that moment, Cinderblock threw a huge rock at the half-robot teen. Cyborg was hurled back twenty feet.

But Sara wasn't paying much attention to the fight. She was looking at Slade, who was standing on the cliffs above. That was the signal.

"_Wait. You don't have to do this."_ A small voice in her mind whispered. _It's his life though. "But what if it isn't? What if Slade knows how to send you visions? What if he's putting thoughts in your head?" He's never had access in my mind! "Can you really take that risk? Think about it: would Robin rather die or live a life that's not his choice?"_

Suddenly, she was tackled to the ground. Her head hit the cemented platform. Dazed, she looked up. Robin was already up and fighting, aiming for Cinderblock's ugly face. So he had pinned her. Oriole looked over to the spot where she'd been standing a moment earlier. There was a huge wreckage of a crane piled up. And if not for Robin, she would be underneath it.

Only know did she realize that only she, Raven and Robin where still conscious. Raven was sent to revive the others by Robin and was already bending over Starfire. Robin landed next to her after another flurry of kicks and bo staff attacks. Cinderblock fell before both of them. "This isn't working." He said between heavy breaths.

"Haven't you beaten this guy, like, a million times already? Why is this time so different?"

"I don't know. Cinderblock is usually erratic. But now…I don't know. He's focused, which makes absolutely no sense, considering he has rocks for brains."

Oriole smiled. "Well, what do you suggest?"

Robin looked over at her, "Cannonball."

Oriole's eyes widened. "Ro, we haven't perfected it. I mean, since you left, I haven't really had a chance to use it."

Just then, Cinderblock pushed himself to his feet and aimed a punch at Robin. Both of them leaped over the giant's fist. When they both landed, Robin put a hand on his sister's shoulder. "You can do it." When Oriole's only response was looking back at him, he added, "But you should probably do it. I don't want to catch on fire today or anytime soon."

Oriole smiled and said, "Then what are we waiting for?"

She took Robin's hands and he held hers. He swung her around and hurled her toward the huge monster. In mid-air, Oriole curled up into a ball and lit her hands with fire. When she made contact with her target, she created a small shield of energy break the force before it hit her. There was a reason that that move was called the cannon ball.

Cinderblock stumbled, but didn't fall. Oriole thought they might have to do something else to him to get him to finally just go to sleep. But that move had drained her like a battery. She just wouldn't have enough strength. Hell, she barely had enough to stand. Then, the giant monster began to sway. Its legs crumpled beneath him, and Cinderblock fell.

Just when they both thought it was over, Slade jumped down from his post on the cliff. Oriole backed away slowly, until she almost tripped over the low railing and rebalanced herself before she could fall down into the depths of the forest below.

Robin

11:34 am

Jump City

Just Outside of the City

This was surely Slade's work. Cinderblock was one of his major pawns. But why send Cinderblock here? There was nothing to gain here, unless Slade really liked construction sites and trees. Where the hell was Sara? Cinderblock had fallen. What was taking her so long? Robin scrambled up onto the rock monster's leg to get a better view. The first thing he saw? Slade. Oriole had backed into the railing. She didn't have anywhere to go. Then Robin saw it. Hanging from a holster on Slade's belt was a gun.

When Slade pulled it out, rage flushed out every other notion of holding back. Slade was going to pay for everything he'd done in full. Robin leapt onto Slade's back and tackled him to the ground. Oriole was frozen, either not sure what to do or her flight, fight or freeze instincts were kicking in.

"Oriole, run!" Robin yelled at her.

But before Oriole could do anything, Slade bolted upright, hands tight around Robin's arms and threw him into Oriole. Both teens were knocked down into the forest. The harsh wind bit at Robin's face and neck. He yelled in fear as they fell. The sloped cliff side met them first. Robin rolled down the side, and, before he reached the bottom, was unconscious.

Robin rolled over to his back and tried to sit up. Pain forced him back down. A million questions began running through his mind. What does Slade want? Why is he here? Where the hell is Sara? At the last question, Robin bolted upright, and bit his lip to hold back a cry of pain. His chest and stomach would certainly turn black and blue, if not a little bit of yellow, from landing so hard and rolling down the hill. He ignored the pain and started to, slowly and painfully, get to his feet. Everything was a blur, and he saw two of everything.

Slade wanted to kill Sara. If he found her unconscious, would he wait to play games? Would he allow her to live any longer? In the distance, he heard Sara calling him. He was about to call back, when Slade appeared out of the tree line. Robin stumbled back, knowing he couldn't fight Slade in his condition. He was still seeing double. Robin blinked to clear his vision. Then Slade was gone. Then, there was an agonizing pain in his back, as he heard a thud behind him. Everything blurred even more, and then faded to black.

The first thing that registered in Robin's mind was that he was laying on something soft. The second thing he realized was that there was something warm at his feet. Robin opened his eyes. He was in a room with white walls and a white ceiling. The bed under him was cushioned and comforting. There was a dresser on the far wall. One door was right next to his bed, another was on the other side. He sat up. Pain flared in his back and he held back a groan of agony. Then a big black wolf jumped on top of him and knocked the wind out of him. The wolf began licking his face. "Okay, Sair! Yeah, it's nice to see you too!" He laughed.

Sara wagged her tail and leapt to the floor. Then she sat down and panted right in his face. Robin leapt back at the smell. "Ah! Dog breath!" He fell on the opposite side of the bed. She padded over to him and her laugh echoed in his mind. _"Smooth move, X-lax. Have a nice trip see you next fall!"_ A guttural noise, somewhere between a bark and a growl, sounded from her mouth. She was laughing at him. _"Fall again! I got tons of those jokes!"_

"Haha. Very funny," he replied crossly.

_"I'm not funny, I'm hilarious!"_ She laughed again, and then gripped his red tunic in her teeth, gently pulling him into a sitting position. She sat down too.

It was now that he fully realized that he had no idea where they were. "Hey, Sair, you have any idea where we are?"

Her tail stopped wagging, and her ears drooped. She shut her muzzle with a small click and ducked her head. Then, a knock sounded at the door. Sara shot up, her hackles raised and her lips pulled back to reveal long white fangs. Her long black tail was bristled to twice its size. A growl grumbled in her chest. "What is it?" Robin asked.

The growl passed through her now-opened jaws, her teeth glistening in the dim light. Her eyes burned with fury. Robin had never seen her so hostile. She scrambled over to the door and watched it with intensity. The door swung open, and Slade walked in. Robin's eyes widened beneath his mask. No. Not this, please not this.

Sara didn't hide her hostility and she didn't stop growling either. To the contrary, the sound became louder.

Slade looked back at her and said, "Sara what did I say about using powers?"

_"Go to hell."_ She snapped and leaped for Slade's throat.

Slade dodged, but not before her teeth tore off a piece of cloth from his sleeve. She ripped it apart further with her teeth and tossed it away when she was fully satisfied that she'd "killed" it.

_ "We're leaving. Now."_

Sara ran at him, barking viciously. At the last second, she jumped up and reached out with her claws, not really caring where she hit him anymore. Slade grabbed her foreleg and swung her around, slamming her into the ground. Sara changed back before she was thrown into the ground and grunted. Slade then lifted her up by the arm and pinned her to the wall. It must have been with force, for she grunted in pain. Sara's anger was quickly replaced with fear.

"Sara, if you do that again, there will be worse punishments."

She whimpered and avoided his eye. Slade released her, and Sara slumped to the ground. _"I'm sorry, Ro. I couldn't stop him."_

_ "How long have we been here?"_

_ "Just last night and this morning. It's 4:32 in the morning. I'm so sorry."_

This in mind, all of Robin's emotions came tumbling out in a wave of energy. He rushed at Slade and feigned a punch to the side of Slade's head, then kicked him. Slade didn't fall for it. He grabbed Robin's leg and swung him around, throwing him like he was a rag doll. Robin landed in a heap. His back, and all of the new bruises forming, screamed in protest as he struggled onto his feet. Sara ran over to help him.

When he was standing, Robin demanded, "Let us go."

Slade cocked his head to the side. "Neither of you belong in Jump City."

Robin ground his teeth together and his muscles bunched together. He took a step. Sara held him back, "Ro. Don't do something stupid." _"We can't fight him. I already tried."_ Her eyes got a hard set to them. _"We'll time this okay? We'll get out. I promise."_

Robin's muscles loosened and tore his gaze away from Slade. Sara spoke, "We're sorry. It won't happen again…sir." She avoided Slade's eye all the while she said this.

Slade let his defenses down, and Robin could swear that he was smirking beneath that hateful mask. Slade straightened, brought his hands behind his back, and took a step closer to the two teens. He bent over so that his eye was level with Sara. "Just remember Sara, I can do so many worse things to you than I can to him." He looked at Robin. "And remember how horrible it feels to watch your little friends being harmed right in front of you, when there is nothing you can do to stop it."

Slade turned on his heel and strolled calmly over to the door, taking his sweet time doing it. He stopped just before leaving. "Oh, and breakfast is at 6:00 sharp. Don't be late. And Sara, I want to talk to you afterwards."

Slade finally left, leaving Sara and Robin both feeling confused and terrified.

Slade

6:21 am

Location Unknown

Breakfast had gone quite well…as well as it could have when you've stolen two teenage superheroes. Correction: two pissed off teenage superheroes. Sara refused to even look at Dick or Slade. And Dick refused to remove his mask, which only ended in bruises and Dick not finishing breakfast.

He contemplated how to approach his accusations to Oriole. If Slade was flat out mad at her, she wouldn't pay him much attention until violence took hold. But Slade didn't want it to come to that. He decided on a more…practical approach.

Sara knocked lightly on the door. Slade opened it for her and she slipped past him nervously. She had a good reason to be nervous. And she had better have a good reason for her betrayal. He saw Robin standing down the hallway, still in full uniform. Slade closed the door behind him and strode towards the suddenly afraid Robin. "Go back to your room, please Dick." Slade commanded, politely but firmly.

Dick opened his mouth to protest, but shut it again and stormed towards his room. _Good choice._

He went back into the living room, where he had asked Sara to meet him, opened the door and locked it behind him. Sara was staring wide eyed at a stuffed grizzly bear standing in the corner.

"From a previous hunting trip," Slade explained.

She spun around, looking scared. When Slade read her thoughts, they mainly screamed for her to run away. But beneath the initial fear of him, he could sense confusion. So he reiterated. "The bear, I shot it on a hunting trip."

That interested her slightly, but not enough for her mind to forget that she was afraid of him. She turned and studied the bear, obviously trying to hide her apprehension. Her fingers brushed the bullet hole on the animal's foreleg. "That wouldn't have killed it, would…? Oh," she was looking at the stitched together slit in its throat.

A strange tremor rippled down her spine, a shudder, probably. "Did you…?" the girl asked, but could go no further.

"Did I what, Sara?" He egged her on. If they didn't get past her "fear" of killing, it would take awhile for her to become a fully functional mercenary again.

Sara gulped and bit her lip. Finally, she spluttered, "Did you," another gulp, "did you do that? Slit its throat?"

Her face was pale and her hands were trembling. Slade bent down so that his mouth was right by her ear. "Do you remember killing Sara? Do you remember how wonderful it feels?"

She took in a sharp breath and looked down and away from him. He circled around and grabbed her chin. She didn't struggle. "_Smart girl."_ Her eyes were still avoiding him though. That bothered Slade. "I want you to look at me when I'm talking to you Sara."

As if forcing herself to, she looked up at him. He released her, but she held his gaze obediantly. "Yes, sir." She mumbled.

Little seeds of doubt were planted in her mind. Good. Step one: check. Now to the real reason she was there. "You interfered last night."

"No, I-"

"-Don't interrupt!" He snapped. She closed her mouth with a faint click. Slade continued. "If you had let all go according to plan I wouldn't have had to handcuff you the way I did. Were you having doubts?"

Her mind immediately said, quote on quote, _"Duh!"_ But she said, "No sir. Of course not."

Slade grunted and inferred, "You were just acting then?"

"Yes."

"Why?" He asked, knowing she didn't have an answer. She looked around awkwardly. The girl really was a terrible liar. He substituted a reason for her, "I assume it was to fool Dick, right?"

"Yeah!" she accepted this fact a little too quickly. She then checked herself and cleared her throat. "I mean, uh, yes. Yes sir. That was the only reason."

He could've called her out on her lies. He could've punished her. But instead, he told her, "Very well. You may go."

She scurried away automatically.

Step two, make sure they know Slade is in control: check. Step three, turning them against each other: in progress.

**Author's Note:** Worst. Cliffhanger. EVER! So, yes, Sara did it. She betrayed Robin and Batman and pretty much everyone. And yes, she even betrayed Slade. Then again, who wouldn't? Slade's a jerk. So, my question for you guys to ponder is: why didn't Slade call her out on her lie? He knows that she betrayed him, so why let it go? Sure, a normal person might do that, but Slade? Since when is he forgiving? And I'll leave it there. Hint: there is no way you'll be able to guess it until Chapter 12. The clue is in Oriole's POV. Bye!


	13. Chapter 12: Realizations

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Teen Titans.

**Author's Note:** Sorry this is a little late. It was a busy weekend. Okay, remember the clue I said was in Oriole's POV? I was wrong, it's in Slade's too. See if you can figure out why Slade is so forgiving with Sara! Read and review, please! Enjoy!

Oriole Chapter 12: Realizations

Slade

4:30 am

Location Unknown

Slade sat in the dining room with Wintergreen, eating breakfast. The old man was trying to vouch for the girl, probably to prevent Slade from doing something brash, but there was nothing he could do. One more slip up and Slade would have a serious "talk" with Sara about her behavior issues.

"Slade, please, they are only eighteen. They can barely be considered adults. Don't push them too hard."

"Will, something has to be done about that girl. I can't have an apprentice that thinks nothing of breaking promises. She has to be taught a lesson."

"Yes, but not the same way you "taught" Richard the last time he was with us. Sara is much more fragile." Wintergreen paused, and added quietly, "and you've already done enough to her."

Slade considered his companion. "What do you mean?"

Will met his gaze and said boldly, "What you did to her in the past."

Slade's eyebrows shot up. How did Will find out about that?

"Now really, Slade, we've known each other for years. I'm not oblivious to everything that you do. … Just don't bring it up in front of her. She might remember and that would only end with disaster."

Getting over his initial shock, Slade replied, "No, of course not. As you say, she is too fragile for that information…at the moment. I can't avoid the subject forever. One day I will tell her. But only after she is completely faithful to me. I'll have to play this right."

Will sighed and shook his head, knowing that saying anymore would do nothing. "And the boy?"

"Dick knows how things go around here. Maybe he'll help keep Sara in line."

"So you're not worried about him?"

"No, not particularly. He may try some form of escape but when he figures it out his main focus will be the girl. His heroic nature won't allow him to put her in danger. After that one escape attempt, I suspect he won't try again."

Wintergreen stood and looked at the clock. "It's almost five, sir. Should I wake them?" Will picked up Slade's plate and his own and carried them into the kitchen.

"That would be appreciated." Slade said politely. Then he thought of something, speaking of the past. "Oh, and wake Dick first. I want Sara to have a bit more time with her dreams. I need to know if any of it traces back to our shared past."

Will returned and nodded. But just before leaving, he said, "Be careful Slade. You're skating on very thin ice."

Oriole

4:30 am

Location Unknown

_"Momma, do you want me to feed the cickens?"_

_ Sara's mother laughed and scooped up her little girl. "Chickens, dear. They're called chickens. And yes, that would be very kind of you. Do you know where the chicken feed is?"_

_ Sara nodded. Her mother put her down and Sara raced to the stable, where the chicken feed was stored. The sun was warm on her cheeks, and her jet black hair bounced on her shoulders. When she reached it, she started filling the bucket with the feed. _

_ A gunshot rang out in the clearing. Crows took off into the hot summer sky and Sara heard her mother's bloodcurdling scream. "Momma?" _

_ Sara ran back to the house as fast as she could. Another gunshot went off and her mother's scream cut off. "Momma!" Not knowing what was happening or why, Sara unknowingly ran right into danger. _

_ A man stood at the top of the hill, a silver pistol gleaming in his hand. Sara's parents lay on the ground in front of her. Sara kneeled next to her mother. Her dark brown eyes were wide open, blank and staring up at Sara. Her mouth hung open in a silent scream of terror. Blood drenched the ground, and stained the murderer's dark black boots._

Oriole's eyes snapped open. It had been such a long time since she had a nightmare about her parents. Those memories had been suppressed after Bruce took her in. All those times seeing the blood and the black boots, but never had she seen the man's face. Never would her subconscious allow her to watch long enough to find out who that bastard was.

Oriole rubbed the sleep from her eyes, knowing it would be impossible to fall asleep again. It took a couple seconds to remember where she was…and what she'd done. _I have to tell Ro. I don't want to, but it's better that he find out from me rather than Slade. …Maybe Slade won't tell him though. Maybe Ro doesn't ever have to know. _

Oriole had slept with her mask on last night, as if the mask could somehow reverse time and take her back to Gotham, back home. Oriole peeled off her mask, wincing as the adhesive stuck to her eyebrows and studied it. That mask was the only reminder she had from the past, the only relic of her hero days. Now she was back to being the villain, working with Slade against the only person that actually gave a damn about her. _What about Bruce?_ A small voice whispered. _What about him?_ She snapped at it. Bruce sent her away. He didn't care about her. Dick was right, Bruce only cared about himself.

She shook her head to clear it. _What am I thinking? Bruce took me in when no one else would. He's been like a father to me ever since. Dick believes that too…to some level. I'm taking out my emotions on Bruce. I shouldn't be. He didn't do anything._ Sara tried to think of something else.

She knew that Slade was a mercenary. She also knew that as soon as Oriole stopped fighting back, Slade would seize the opportunity to reprogram her mind to fit an assassin. He would harden her heart until she no longer had one. Killing would become easy. She'd already crossed that line and been given a second chance. It wasn't likely she would get a third.

Memories of Kai and Aiko Tiang forced their way into her mind. Little Aiko, who now had no mother thanks to Sara, was only six. No one should have to see their parents die. What was worse, Aiko would be just as bloodthirsty for Sara as Sara was for her own parents' murderer. Kai's desperate pleas for her own life rang in her ears. _"No kill, please no kill!"_ Oriole didn't want anything like that to happen ever again. She didn't want to be responsible for any more deaths.

Bringing her back to the present, there was a knock on the door. Grumbling, Oriole stood, stretched and walked over to the door. She opened it for an old man that reminded her startlingly of Alfred. A pang of homesickness flashed through her.

The old man smiled kindly at her and said, "Good morning. Breakfast is at 5:30. I thought you may be hungry."

"Um, okay," she yawned. "Why does Slade want us up at the crack of dawn? Is this really gonna be daily?"

"Welcome to hell," a familiar voice said. Oriole looked around and saw Robin just down the hall. He was still in his Robin uniform.

Oriole felt her body involuntarily stiffen. Dick. How would he react when he found out? _At least he's safe._ Then again, was anyone safe around Slade?

Starfire

5:43 am

Forest outside of Jump City

Starfire flew over the forest, frantically searching for a red tunic, or a black and yellow cape, something that would mean Robin was okay. Her communicator rang, but Starfire ignored it. She knew who it was. They kept trying to convince her to come home and figure this out together. But were the Titans really together without Robin?

"Starfire," a girl's voice called out behind her. Starfire turned to see Raven, floating not too far away. "You need to come home. You need your rest."

Star shook her head. "I cannot rest knowing our friends are missing."

"I'm worried about them too, but if you're going to be able to help them, you need your rest."

"Robin did not seem to think so. He remained awake while working up until the dawn."

Raven's face fell, her violet eyes sympathetic. "Starfire, you're not Robin. You're not trained to stay up late. And honestly, I don't think even Robin stayed up for 48 hours straight."

Starfire thought about this. "Perhaps if I just try one more time," she said, pulling out her communicator.

Raven put a hand on Starfire's communicator and lowered it. She then reached into her cape and pulled out a similar device. "This is Robin's. We found it in the forest. And Oriole's Bat communicator is back at the Tower. We have no way to contact them."

Starfire sighed. Was there nothing they could do? _Oh Robin, where are you?_

Robin

5:43 am

Location Unknown

This was a nightmare. He promised himself he would never work for Slade ever again, and yet he was here, trapped in some creepy house with no way out. And Sara had to suffer with him. But having Sara around was probably a good thing…for Dick anyway. At least they could keep each other from lowering to Slade's level. The thought was selfish, but what else could he do? There was nothing else to hope for, nothing else to hold on to when times were bleak. Robin hated that the most. What was even worse was how much control Slade had over them.

As if to prove this, Slade commanded in a cool, level tone, "Dick, Sara, no masks at the table."

The two teens exchanged looks. Seeing Sara was even more of a reminder of why he couldn't just run. There was a look of defeat in Sara's eyes, one that Robin hadn't seen in a long time. She'd had the same look when she first told him about Dent being after her, about her assignment to kill Bruce. But even if she was confident, it didn't matter. The real reason she was there with him was for Slade's leverage. He couldn't do something stupid, not with Sara's life on the line. Slade had already proven that he wouldn't hesitate to kill her.

Sara removed her mask and laid it on the table next to her. Robin sighed and took off his own mask. Last night's argument about masks at the table had been bad enough. Reluctantly, Dick allowed himself to remember.

_"Dick, no masks at the table." Slade said in that same calm voice that Robin hated. Robin ignored him and kept eating…well, not really eating as much as moving his food around with his fork."Dick, don't act like you didn't hear me."_

_ Next to him, Sara nudged his arm. She shook her head and said in his mind, _"Di, just listen to him."

_ That only made his defiance swell. "No," he replied simply, but firmly._

_ Slade's eye narrowed. "Excuse me? Did you just disobey a direct order?"_

_ He shrugged. "Yeah, pretty much."_

_ Slade stood. Robin knew what was coming. He was counting on it. Sara stood up too. "Slade, he didn't mean it."_

_ "Sit down, Sara." _

_ She did, but she gave Robin a pleading look. _"Robin please, don't do something you'll regret."

_ "Dick, I'll give you one last chance." Slade held out his hand. "Take off your mask."_

_ Robin glared back at him. "Make me."_

_ Slade grabbed Robin's arm and threw him into the far wall. Pain flared in the small of his back. Robin struggled to his feet, but Slade was already towering over him. Slade grabbed Robin's shirt and slammed him into the wall. The mercenary brought his fist back and punched Robin in the face. Stars popped in front of his eyes and he could taste blood in his mouth from his lips. Then Slade brought up his knee into Robin's stomach, and allowed him to slide to the floor. Robin gasped for air, feeling like a fish out of water as he lay there pathetically on the floor._

"_No! Stop! Slade, stop!" Sara yelled._

_She ran to Robin's side, and crouched beside him to make sure he was okay. He would be fine, just some bruises. After all, this wasn't the worst beating he'd endured from Slade. She stood in front of him and held her arms out in an attempt to protect him. _

_Slade laughed. "You actually think you are in a position to stop me, girl? Don't forget what your punishments are. I won't hesitate to…exercise them."_

"_Leave her alone." Robin whispered weakly and slowly got to his feet. _

_Slade glared at him and commanded, "Dick, go to your room before I make you."_

_Robin opened his mouth to say something defiant back, but one look from Sara silenced him. Reluctantly, Robin headed for the door. He hated leaving Sara alone with Slade, but there wasn't anything he could do._

He still had a bruise on his back and a cut lip from last night. Dick looked over at Sara, who was fingering her food and purposely avoiding his eyes. But why? "_Did Slade hurt you last night?"_ Dick thought in his mind, hoping Sara would tune in and talk to him.

Sure enough, she responded, _"No. I'm okay. I was more worried about you. Last night was terrible."_

_That's not the worst._ He thought, completely forgetting that Sara was listening.

"_He can get worse?" _

"Sara, no powers at the table either. I don't appreciate you two having discussions that I can't be a part of." Slade chided. Had he been listening in? Great. Just great.

"Sorry, sir. It won't happen again." Sara said hastily.

Oh wonderful, now Sara was apologizing. How much lower could they sink? Dick sighed and took a bite of the pancakes. He was a lot hungrier than he thought.

"Good. Now, Dick," Dick looked up and found Slade looking right at him. "After breakfast, we will go to the gym and train for a few hours. Then you can shower and see if Wintergreen needs any help. He did bring up painting one of the rooms the other night. Meanwhile, Sara, you will do some chores until I'm done with Dick and then we will train. Do you two understand?"

Dick didn't answer, which Slade would know to be a reluctant yes. Sara on the other hand asked, "Just one question: what's a Wintergreen?"

Patiently, Slade answered, "The man who woke you up this morning. He's an old friend of mine. Ask Dick. Wintergreen helped me last time Dick was under my…supervision."

_Supervision, my ass. _Dick thought grumpily. Oh yes, he knew Wintergreen. Wintergreen was the old butler who had to keep bandaging Dick's wounds from Slade's beatings. Why would anyone willingly stay with Slade for so long? There were multiple times Dick wondered if Wintergreen was here willingly or being blackmailed like Dick had been.

Why did they have to be there? Why did he let this happen again? Sara didn't deserve this. Dick could handle Slade, but Sara…Sara was a different story. Sara was more fragile, mentally anyway. If Slade pushed her in the wrong direction, he didn't know how long it would take for her becoming an assassin again. She still had the training. She knew how to kill. Slade would be sure to use that. Once Sara was too far-gone for Dick to call her back, Slade would focus more on him and Dick's advantage with having Sara on his side would end.

He had to protect Sara. It was the only way they could get out of their situation together. Otherwise, Sara would become her old self and Dick would live with the guilt for the rest of his life. Sara was the climax. She was the Lady Fate who would point to either her path as the Oriole or as Slade's apprentice. Everything depended on Sara.

**Author's Note:** Ah, so dramatic. So yes, Slade was right in the beginning. Dick isn't gonna worry about his own ass, 'cause you know…he's Dick. So, did you guys figure it out? If you guessed their "shared past" as Slade put it, you're right! But can you guess what that past might be? You'll find out…eventually. Please review! See you all next week!


	14. Chapter 13: She Shouldn't Have Looked

**Disclaimer:** Muahahaha! I have kidnapped the owner of Teen Titans and…okay I couldn't do that with a straight face. No, I don't own Teen Titans and I didn't capture whoever does own it. Sadly I am just an American writing about Teen Titans to get rid of my nerdiness.

**Author's Note:** Hello again everybody! Thanks for sticking with me all this time. I know it kind of took a while to get here, but finally, we are at Slade's new secret lair! Now, I have another teaser question for you all. When has Slade met Oriole before all of this? What is their "shared past?" It was already revealed in Chapter 12 if you're Sherlock Holmes or a friend I told the plot to. So, if you can guess it, send it in as a review and I'll tell you if you're right or wrong. Hehe, have fun!

Now, sit back and get excited for Chapter 13! Review please!

Oriole Chapter 13: She Shouldn't Have Looked

Oriole

12:21 am

One week after capture

Location Unknown

Oriole snuck into Slade's tech room. After spending seven days roaming the halls and doing chores for Wintergreen, she knew practically where every room was in that damned house. Disturbingly, she found a camera feedback on multiple screens, showing every single window, door or ventilation system. As if it was needed. The security placed on the mansion made it a fortress, impregnable. _Focus!_ She snapped at herself.

She sat down at Slade's computer and found it password protected. Sara smiled. Now that was just being careless! Reaching into the hidden compartment in the heel of her left combat boot, she pulled out a small USB-looking device. Bruce had given it to her for life threatening situations. The way Oriole figured, being captured by a twisted and sadistic creep qualified for a life threatening situation. She plugged the device into the computer and automatically the word (or rather name) "Adeline" was punched in on screen. _Who's Adeline?_

The first thing that popped up on the computer screen was a file entitled "Contracts." In other words, it was his hit list. It had been updated just yesterday. Looking through it, she found many demented truths about who Slade was after. First was two people, a man and a woman, with the last name Thompson with too x's meaning deceased after it. But something else caught her eye before she could see any more. As she scrolled down, horror sent an unpleasant shudder down her spine. In second most wanted hit list was the name "Bruce Wayne." Sara froze, eyes twice their normal size.

"No," she whispered.

"What are you doing in here?"

Slade

12:22 am

Location Unknown

Slade stood behind the computer chair where Sara was sitting. On screen was an old picture taken of Wayne and the two teens. He had one arm around each of them and had a rare smile on his face. Sara, on Wayne's left, was beaming up at the camera, her eyes glittering with laughter. Dick was also smiling, confidence, arrogance, all emotions wrapped into one simple smile.

Sara spun around, anger and fear colliding in a very alarming mixture. She stood and, in her defiance, uttered something she probably shouldn't have. "Isn't it enough you have Ro in this hell hole? Now you have to go after Batman too?"

Slade mentally swore at himself. He shouldn't have let the security in here slip. If Dick had found all of this…well needless to say, it wouldn't be good. Sara coming across this was problematic, but not too terrible. After all, he knew one of her little secrets too. But threats would only come if she did something stupid. For now though, maybe Slade could use this to his advantage. He hadn't even talked about Wayne yet. "Why does it matter to you what happens to Wayne? He found out how much trouble you were and shipped you off to Jump City so that Dick could deal with you. He abandoned you the first chance he got."

"That's not true!" She said this a little too quickly. "Batman," Slade almost laughed at how she insisted to call everyone by their hero name, "is the closest thing to a father I have! No one's taking away any more of my family!" All anger suddenly melted away into misery. "I can't bear it."

This speech merely reminded Slade that he was dealing with Sara, the seventeen year old girl that'd lost her parents, not Oriole, the superpowered hero that'd seen more horror than most people three times her age. It also seemed to highlight how much of a grudge, for lack of a better word, she would have if Slade told her what really happened to her parents. But still, the bonds between Sara and Wayne had to be broken. "He's not your father. He doesn't care. Why else would he send you where he couldn't protect you? The Titans couldn't give you the same protection as Wayne should have. A real father would keep you as close as possible when you were in danger."

She shook her head and tried to deny it, but her trembling lips said otherwise. "That's not true! He did what he thought was best. And…and I'm not going to fall for your stupid mind games!" Her voice lowered as she attempted to block him out. "My name is Sara Marie Thompson. I'm seventeen years-"

"Sara, don't you." Slade's voice became a dangerous growl.

"I became Oriole four years ago when-"

Out of anger, Slade backhanded her hard across the face. Her knees buckled and she clutched her cheek, startled. "Pay attention when I'm talking to you, Sara. Or there will be punishments."

For a few minutes, she remained motionless, eyes closed. Finally, her eyes opened. They were pitch black. She looked up at him, rage lighting her eyes like a forest fire. She seemed to fly right at him, nails curving into claws. Slade caught her wrists. A hiss passed through her pulled back lips, fangs gleaming in the little light there was. It was as if she were a vampire from those old horror movies. Her coal black eyes glared at him coldly.

In that moment, Slade saw all of the raw power buried in the depths of her mind. _Such potential, and she leaves it on the shelf to collect dust. Why?_ But he already knew the answer. Though she wouldn't admit it, Sara was afraid of her powers; afraid that if she let them out, they would control her as it did now.

"Let me go!" She hissed.

Slade wasn't going to let her lack of control interrupt him. "Sara, everyone dies eventually. All I do is make a person's little time on Earth go by faster. Besides, Wayne has had so much pain in his life. I think it would be a favor." _For both him and myself. _

"No! Leave him alone!"

"Nothing you do or say can save him, Sara. Accept it." He knew it was cold, but he wasn't going to lie to her. She'd know if he did anyway, so there wasn't any point.

She disregarded it. "Let me go! I hate you!" The black began to recede back to her pupils. Finally, she was out of power, out of strength, and out of will to keep defending Wayne.

Slade waited to let go until her claws had fully returned to nails. She slumped down to her knees, her chest shaking with silent sobs. Well, at least something was accomplished tonight: he'd broken through. He'd gotten to her. And most importantly, he reminded her that he was in charge, that she had absolutely no power.

Robin

5:30 am

Location Unknown

Sara was considerably quieter at breakfast that day. Her eyes kept darting nervously to Slade as she ate. Normally it was just an awkward silence until Sara finally struck up a conversation, but now no one was talking.

Robin kept asking in his mind, _"Are you okay?"_ over and over again until it became a chant.

Finally, _"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"_ According to Sara, it was next to impossible to lie in your head, so Robin relaxed…but only slightly. After all, she did say next to impossible.

_"I don't know, you just seem quieter than usual."_

_ "Don't worry about it. I just had a bit of an epiphany last night."_

_ "About what?"_

_ "That Slade is a bastard and deserves to rot in hell…Sorry, I don't censor myself in my head."_

Robin almost laughed. Whatever Slade did, he was glad it happened; Robin had been a little worried about her, worried that she would fall for Slade's mind games. _"Why, what happened?"_

Abruptly, she cut off communication. Robin took that as a, "you don't wanna know." Still, he didn't like her keeping secrets, especially now. They had to keep each other sane until they got out of there. Wouldn't that mean that she should trust him with everything?

The grandfather clock in Slade's living room chimed midnight. Right on cue, Sara knocked on his door. They'd been meeting late every night to plan how to escape. Routinely, Sara unplugged the security camera.

"Good evening, ma'am." Dick said in a false Southern accent and tipped an imaginary hat to her.

Sara laughed, "I think you mean good morning. It is midnight after all." She perched herself on the bed, looking up at the camera and frowned.

Dick glanced at it. "Yeah, I hate it too."

She grunted and looked away.

"Are you okay?" Dick asked for the second time in a row. He sat next to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

Sara shrugged. She stood and walked over to the window. "I wish we could at least hear from someone. Not knowing anything is making me feel isolated."

Dick followed her and took her hand. "Well, I'm still here. When we get out, you can do whatever you want."

Her hand slipped out of his and she held it away from him. "That's just it, Di. I don't know if we can escape. Slade's got this place wired better than freaking Arkham!"

"Sara, it's okay. We'll figure something out."

"No, you won't. It's been a week now, Dick. I'm not waiting anymore. We're doing this my way now."

Dick sighed. He knew there was nothing he could do to convince her otherwise, so why bother? "What did you have in mind?"

"We're leaving. Tonight. From what I can tell, there's a forest not too far from here. If we make it there, it'll be hard for him to find us. And there are only guards at night. The security system reboots over night and starts up again at about six. Only the cameras stay on, but Slade won't be watching right now."

"Why tonight?"

She hesitated, trying to figure out how to put what she was thinking into words. Finally, she merely shrugged and replied, "I just want to get out of here as soon as possible. Seriously, Slade's attitude is starting to get to me."

A smile played on his lips."Okay, so what's the plan?"

Sara smiled back. "You're in?"

"Duh!"

"Alright. Well the plan is simple."

**Author's Note:** Haha, aren't cliffhangers terrible? So, Sara has a plan to escape. You know, I've already had enough of Slade myself. And going after Bruce? Grrrr….bad Slade. Will Sara's plan work? Will Robin and Oriole escape? Tune in next week! Review please. Hope you enjoyed!


	15. Chapter 14: Let's Get Out of Here

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Teen Titans.

**Author's Note:** Hey, sorry that this took so long everyone! I was on vacation to Wyoming. Went to Yellowstone, got past the writer's block I've had for a while, and now I'm back! So, when I left you last, Sara found out that Slade has put a hit on Batman and now she has a plan to escape. Will it work? You'll see. You'll see. Review please!

Oriole Chapter 14: Let's Get Out of Here

Robin

1:34 am

Eight days after capture

Location Unknown

Oriole led Robin through the safest corridors, or rather the ones with less cameras, just in case Slade was watching. Both had their uniform and mask on. Added to both of their masquerades were backpacks bearing their jackets, but nothing else…not yet anyway. They crept silently into the kitchen and Robin opened the fridge. Oriole, however, pulled open a drawer and grabbed a steak knife, snug in its sheath. Then she climbed up onto the counter, reached on top of the cupboards and pulled out a pistol.

Robin stared at her, mouth agape. What was she thinking? "What's that for?"

"Do you see any other weapons available? If it's using a gun or getting dragged back here, I'll take the gun." She moved to pack it in her bag, but Robin caught her hand.

"No guns. If he catches us-"

"He won't catch us."

"Let's say he does. What would he think about you having a gun? He'll think you'll go back to being an assassin easier than he thought. I'd prefer not to have that happen."She looked at him, then to the gun and back again. Finally she sighed and replaced the gun on top of the cupboards. Robin's muscles relaxed. "Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Do you have everything?"

He opened his bag to take inventory. "One pop bottle filled with water, three water bottles, two apples, a bag of carrots, and some pop tarts."

"That sounds like everything. Good. Okay, I'll take the jackets and the water bottles in my pack."

Robin handed her his jacket and the three water bottles. "Do you have the map?"

She held it up. "Got it." Oriole replaced it in her bag. "You ready?" He nodded, eager to leave and never look back. She grinned. "Then let's get out of here." Instead of chancing the door, Oriole slid open the window above the sink. She threw her backpack through to the other side and followed it soon after. Robin tossed her his bag and climbed through the window.

"Ah, fresh air. Is there anything better?" She said in a voice that was way too loud.

"Not getting caught!" Robin snapped, "Seriously, lower the volume." Robin looked around, expecting some sort of ambush.

"Will you relax? We got out. That was the hard part, remember? Now all we gotta do is get through the desert before six, find the village, get to Santa Fe, board a plane all without getting caught and we're home free!"

"Yeah, that's all." He remarked sarcastically.

"Don't be so pessimistic. Look, it'll be a couple hours for him to even realize we're gone. Ten minutes to get to the garage that he's hidden so well. Another thirty, at least, to change the tires I slashed already and ten to get the cars started and out of the house. That gives us a good three hour head start. We'll be fine."

Robin said nothing. A chill swept over Oriole and she pulled her jacket out and took off her cape, replacing the jacket's empty space in the bag. As she walked alongside Robin, she pulled the jacket on over her suit.

About an hour later, the tree line came into view. "See? We're almost there! I told you we had nothing to worry about! Now all we gotta do is find this village, get to Santa Fe and we're gone! He'll never catch up with us now."

As if the universe hated for Sara to be right, a bright fluorescent light lit their backs and the sound of a car engine roared behind them. Without having to look, Robin yelled, "Run!"

Both teens tore off for the tree line. The engine kept coming closer and closer. Oriole took the lead, being trained for this much longer than he had and much better at it. "Ro, hurry!"

But he was going as fast as he could. He wasn't as fast as Sara. Then, the car pulled in front of him, another flying past them and pursuing Oriole. Three Sladebots got out of the car. A third car pulled up and another five followed…and Slade was with them. Robin got into a fighting stance, even though he knew it was useless. Then, in the distance, the car following Oriole blew up and an orange and black blur flew at the Sladebots, slashing at them, slicing heads off, tearing them apart. Oriole was in her tiger form, and boy did she look pissed.

Slade's eye narrowed at her and he snapped his fingers. Two Sladebots grabbed each of Robin's arms. Robin struggled, but they were too strong, but they were the last ones left. And just when Robin thought they just might make it, a fourth car jumped a dune and another six Sladebots got out. Five of them leaped on top of Oriole while the sixth stayed with Robin and his captors.

Slade pulled out a small syringe filled with a clear liquid and approached Oriole. _"Oh no you don't!"_ Robin thought as he flipped over the Sladebots and landed squarely on one's shoulders, making it buckle beneath his weight. One of the Sladebots pinning Oriole came to help the three robots left on Robin.

His backpack was just a few feet away. He could grab the bo-staff he'd hidden in it. If only he could reach it. Slade was bending down next to Oriole; he was running out of time. Two robots charged him. Robin flipped up and over them and landed right next to his backpack. But then, three bots pinned him down before he could even open it.

He looked up. Oriole was in Slade's arms, her limbs dangling. Slade put her in the car and cuffed her hands together. Robin went limp. He couldn't leave her with Slade; he couldn't let her face Slade alone. The robots let him up, pulled him roughly to his feet, held his hands behind his back and led him to the car.

Slade had them stop in front of him. He didn't speak, but his eye said enough. They hadn't heard the end of this. And punishment would get a whole lot worse as soon as Sara woke up. With Sara's abilities, that was probably really soon. Slade locked the handcuffs around Robin's wrists and shoved him towards the car. Robin bowed his head, to avoid hitting it on the door and buckled himself in with difficulty. The Sladebots dispersed, and with so few of them left, Slade drove them back to the prison himself. They were alone in the car.

Oriole

3:13 am

Location Unknown

Oriole opened her eyes groggily. Her head was pounding and her wrists felt like something was cutting into them. She looked down. Handcuffs? Why were there handcuffs…? Then she remembered. She and Robin tried to escape. Sara remembered running ahead and stopping when Robin's footsteps and one of the cars stopped. She remembered going back and another car going after her. She remembered attacking the car and blowing it up with her powers. Then she was pinned by Sladebots. Slade coming towards her with a syringe. Struggling to get free, to get away from Slade, to help Robin, anything! Then…nothing. Now she was in a car, cuffed and doors locked.

She changed into an oriole and shimmied out of the cuffs. When she changed back, she tried to pry the door open, when someone put a gentle hand on her shoulder. Sara jumped and looked to see Robin sitting across from her. He shook his head, a look of defeat on his face. His lack of hope leeched the fight out of her. She nodded at him and her muscles relaxed.

When they got back to the house, Slade opened the door and they both got out. But as Robin stepped out of the car, Slade backhanded him.

"Robin!" The Sladebots held her back as Slade hit him again. She forced them away with a wave of flames and ran to Robin's aid. Robin was on the ground, helpless. He wasn't even trying to fight back. As Slade's fist raised, Oriole stepped in front of Robin. Slade's eye narrowed at her, and his punch rammed into the side of her head. Stars popping in front of her eyes, her knees buckled. She held her cheek and looked up at Slade. His leg swung back, but was stopped by Oriole's shield.

"Sara," Slade warned in a low dangerous voice. "Get. Out. Of. My. Way."

"No."

Slade stepped back and Oriole let her shield dissipate. "If you don't move, I'll tell him our little secret."

"Oriole what is he talking about?"

Oriole paled. She wasn't ready for him to know yet. She didn't want him to know. Robin got to his feet and helped her up. She glared back at Slade. He was bluffing, surely. Wasn't he? "You think I care what you do?"

Oriole felt a wave of grim pleasure roll off of Slade. Her pupils constricted. What if he wasn't bluffing?

"Robin why do you think Oriole is here?"

He wasn't. Damn. "Wait, Slade don't."

"It's because she wanted to be."

Too late.

Robin paused, staring at Slade. Then, he laughed right in Slade's face. "Yeah, and that's why she tried to get the hell away from here. That's a good one."

"Why don't you ask her?"

Robin looked over at Oriole with a smile on his face, probably from Slade's "joke". It died as soon as he saw her. "He's joking. …Right?"

She looked back at him helplessly. Her mouth was dry, palms sweaty. She couldn't lie to him. He'd know immediately and it would only make things worse. "Ro, I…I'm sorry."

In those few words, she could feel Robin's doubt in Slade's words disappear. His face became solemn, hands curled into fists, lips shape into a scowl. "You set us up, didn't you?"

"It's not what you think. Ro, please, just let me explain." She reached out to him, searching for some sign of trust. She didn't find it. As soon as her fingers touched his shoulder, he shrugged them off and backed away. His eyes narrowed at her.

"It's not what I think? That's all you have to say? You lied to me! You set me up!"

"No, I…" she sighed. He was right. She had lied to him. She'd betrayed him. Then, she realized he said _"You set _me_ up"_ instead of us. "Ro, you don't know the whole story."

"And I don't have to." He snapped. "Raven was right. You're just like Terra."

Just four words. That's all it took. A knife stabbed her already bleeding heart. Robin turned his back on her and stormed inside, not looking back.

Tears formed in her eyes. She spun around to glare at Slade. "Are you happy now? He hates me! He thinks I betrayed him. And it's all your fault."

"You did betray him, Sara. All I did was tell him the truth, as you should have done as soon as you two arrived here. If you're going to vilify me for that, go right ahead."

No, he was lying. "_Don't listen to him! He's lying! …Isn't he?"_ She knew he was right. She should've told Robin as soon as they'd gotten here. No. She shouldn't have betrayed him in the first place. She shouldn't've done what she did. Now he would never forgive her. Then again, she didn't deserve his forgiveness anyway.

Batman

1:32 pm

Titans Tower

Batman didn't like being in Titans Tower. It was just a reminder that Dick would never come back to Gotham, that things would never be the same. But he had no choice. Looking through Sara's computer may be the only way to find where they went. Her email was still up on the computer screen. Then, he saw an email address that her account didn't recognize. He opened it, and he knew immediately that he shouldn't have sent her to Jump City.

You pick the time and place of capture. Robin's not going to come willingly. I need all of the details.

And the response was almost worse.

Send Cinderblock to that old construction site. Force us into the forest, just me and Robin. I'll knock him out. He won't know anything. ... Don't hurt him.

Damn it. What was she thinking? Whoever kidnapped them had help and from one of the ones kidnapped. Was it possible that an assassin took them? Had Sara become an assassin again? Maybe Sara was just afraid. But no, she wouldn't hand over Robin for her own safety. That just wasn't like her. Then again, nothing about this situation was. Batman began to hack into the email to find out just who sent her the email. A firewall was in place. Batman cracked his knuckles. He could be there a while.

**Author's Note:** Ah, so now they know about Sara's deal with Slade. That didn't turn out so well did it? So Sara's plan to escape didn't work and Robin now knows the truth about Sara's betrayal. What will happen next? What does this mean for Robin and Oriole? Tune in next week. Please review!


	16. Chapter 15: Falling into Despair

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Teen Titans.

**Author's Note:** Hey guys, sorry this one is so late. I really don't have an excuse. So, a little warning, the beginning of this chapter does start out with a dream, so that's why it's a little odd. Please review! Enjoy this chapter!

Oriole Chapter 15: Falling into Despair

Oriole

7:12 am

Location Unknown

Day of Escape Attempt

_ Oriole opened her eight eyes. The world was instantly warped into a honeycomb of perspectives. She had a small red symbol on her abdomen. She was a black widow. As she wove her web, a half-zombified creature swooped down and pulled her away from her web. A young robin came out of nowhere and fought the half-zombie until it dropped her. She fell a couple feet before the robin caught her on his back and landed safely on the ground. Sara slipped off of his back and landed on the soft green grass. _

_ "Are you okay?" Robin asked, his voice coming out of the robin's beak._

_ "Thanks to you. That Two-Faced monster would've gotten me if not for you."_

_ "No problem. I suppose he destroyed your web?"_

_ "Yeah, I don't have a home."_

_ "I think I know how to fix that. Climb on." Robin lowered his tail until it brushed the grass in front of her. _

_ She scrambled on and clung to his feathers and he took her to his nest, where a bat lived nearby. His welcome was just as gracious as Robin's, though a little gruff. _

_ "You can build a web by my nest. That way that Two-Faced thing won't come after you again."_

_ "Thank you."_

_ Time passed. Over time, she became an oriole, beautiful and strong and helpful to all, instead of hurting those less fortunate than herself, like flies and mosquitoes and bees. But then, one night while flying around, looking for trouble, she had a vision about Robin being taken away. So when a copper and black fox told her that he could save Robin, she willingly handed him over to the fox. As soon as she did, she changed back into a black widow spider. Robin found out. "I'll never forgive you for this." Robin turned his back on her forever._

_ Then the image switched to a fork in the road. Batman stood on the right, Slade on the left. Slade's side was visibly darker and the trees looked like skeletons. Batman's side was peaceful and the sun shone above it._

_ Slade offered his hand to her. "I can help you, Sara. Trust me."_

_ "Sara, no." Batman yelled. "You know he's tricking you. He's using you to get to Robin. Come here. We'll figure this out."_

_ "Batman can't do anything to help you."_

_ "Sara, listen to me. Slade's a criminal. He already took Robin once. Do you really think Robin wants that to happen again?"_

_ Sara walked towards Batman and reached her hand out to him, but then an image of Robin's dead body flashed in her mind and she pulled her hand back. _

_ "Batman can't save him, Sara. But I can."_

_ Tears formed in her eyes. And when she brushed them away, Batman was gone. She reached out for Slade's hand. Then Robin materialized in the center of the two paths. "Sara, don't."_

_ She snatched her hand away from Slade and looked at Robin. "Ro? I have to. Your life's in danger! I have to stop it."_

_ "Sara, you know me. I'd rather die than going back. You know that."_

_ She nodded._

_ "Then why are you doing this to me?"_

_ "No, not to you. I'm doing this for you. Ro, I can't watch you die."_

_ "You won't. We'll find another way. Come on, follow me." He headed for the lighter side of the crossroads, but Sara stayed by Slade. "Sara?"_

_ "I'm sorry Ro. We don't have time to find another way." _

_ "NO!" He raced toward her, trying to reach her before it was too late. But it was. She took Slade hand. As soon as his fingers closed around hers, she changed into a black widow spider and Robin into a robin, both of them in a cage. Slade laughed evilly, like those bad guys on the TV shows. He changed into the copper and black fox. _

_ "What have you done?" Robin yelled._

Oriole's eyes snapped open and she sat up. She pulled herself to the edge of the bed and sighed, her fingers pinching the bridge of her nose. _"Ro has every right to hate me. I'm just as bad as that black widow. How could I do this? What have I done?"_ She hid her face in both of her hands and sunk deeper and deeper into her despair.

Robin

7:34 am

Location Unknown

Dick sat in the dining room, eating his pancakes in silence. Slade waited patiently for Sara. Wintergreen opened the big wooden doors and greeted, "Sir."

"Where's Sara?"

"She refuses to come, sir. I told her the consequences for disobedience and she declared that, if I remember correctly, there's nothing more you can do to her."

Slade's eye narrowed. Dick stopped eating; his instinct to protect her kicking in. But he got over it quickly at the reminder that Sara was the reason he was eating pancakes in Slade's dining room.

Slade spoke again after a long silence. "Dick," His head popped up at his name. "Go fetch Sara. She needs to eat."

Dick glared back at him. "No."

Slade stood and towered over him. "Oh I think you will. See, if I go, well…there's nothing to keep me from harming her for such rude and brash behavior. If you go, she doesn't get hurt."

"I don't care." Dick declared and put another forkful of pancakes in his mouth.

"Dick, I will not tolerate this. Go get Sara or I promise, there will be more severe consequences than last night.

Dick stared back at Slade, hate glittering in his eyes. But finally, he broke eye contact, sighed, pushed himself away from the table and went to go find Sara. It's not that he was a coward. He knew that he would eventually have to talk to her again, no matter how much he didn't want to. That and he couldn't help but agree with Sara when she told him to keep his head down. The more Slade trusted him, the easier it would be to escape.

After two left turns and three doors down the third hallway, he made it to Sara's bedroom. He knocked and called, "Sara, it's time to eat."

"I'm not hungry," came the angry reply.

Dick rolled his eyes and opened the door. He dodged just in time for a drawer to sail over his head. "Jeez! Sara, what the hell are you doing?"

She froze at the sight of him, her arm still hanging in the air, wielding a wire hangar from her closet. Tear streaks ran down both cheeks and her eyes were puffy and red. The sight of her in such a state was unsettling to say the least. Finally she lowered her hangar-wielding hand. But the wild look in her eye never left. "What do you want?"

"Slade's angry 'cause you're not coming to breakfast. He sent me down to get you."

Her eyes narrowed. "Of course that's what you wanted. You didn't come to say, 'sorry for being an unconsiderate, misguided asshole.' Oh no, you always think you're right about everything! Well guess what Robin? You're not right about everything! Hey, just look at me! You thought I could be a good person and change my ways. But then I do this, and it turns out you were wrong about me. Dead wrong. So you know what? Why don't you go tell Slade that I'll gladly starve to death if it means never seeing him again!"

A blast of heat flew at him and pushed him back, towards the door. It'd come out of Sara's mouth. She was breathing heavily now, seemingly calm. But the hostility in her eyes was clear and it wasn't going anywhere. "So go! Go tell him I said that!" Dick didn't move. He was shocked, incredulous to what was happening to her. Flames curled from her hands, curving around her neck like a necklace, lighting her hair. "I said LEAVE!" At the last word, flames leapt towards him from her body. All of her anger and misery was aimed for the closest person: him. He ran from the fire and they finally stopped chasing him at the end of the hallway.

_"Sara…what's happened to you? What have I done?"_

Starfire

6:21 am

Jump City California

Starfire flew over Jump City as the sun rose in the sky. She landed on a skyscraper and watched as it climbed higher and higher. She remembered the first time she'd watched a sunrise on this planet, after her new friends rescued her from the Gordanians. She also remembered when she watched it with Robin.

_"It is most beautiful."_

_ "The best." He agreed. A moment of silence passed between them. It wasn't awkward. It was just to admire the sun's beauty. Finally, Robin asked. "What does it look like on your planet?"_

_ She considered this and looked back at the sunrise. "It has less colors. The sun seems to consume the entire sky. I do not think it compares to a sun rising on Earth though."_

A tear dripped down her cheek. She missed him. She missed how he could explain everything on Earth that she didn't understand. She missed his smile. She missed how his lips felt on hers. She missed finding him on the roof in the morning and watching the sunrise with him. She missed Robin. Starfire pulled her knees up and rested her head on them.

Why did he leave? Did Starfire push him away? Did he like Oriole more? She knew they'd dated. She knew that they cared about each other. Did they leave together? Or is what Batman told them right and were they taken away?

_"Oh Robin, where are you?"_

Batman

7:03 am

Titans Tower

Finally, the firewall was down. It'd taken several hours but the firewall was down. Yes, he'd taken breaks of course, for looking into other leads (all ending with only more frustration), but he'd finally done it. In a few seconds he would know the name and location of the kidnapper. But instead,

"Nice try, Batman." Slade appeared on screen. The recording button was at the top of the screen. Was this live? "It's going to take a lot more than hacking to find me. Or, should I say, find us."

"Where are they?"

"Now, you don't expect me to make it easy for you, do you? That would make all of this pointless. I have to tell you, you've trained Robin well. I've had my eye on him for some time."

"And for you, that's literal." Batman turned to see Raven in the doorway, her eyes narrowed. "Since you only have one eye, I mean."

"Ah, Raven. Good to see you again."

"Where is Robin? Where have you taken him?"

"You're hardly in a position to make demands Raven. I hold all the cards."

"Now, unless you want me to reveal your little secret to Raven here, I suggest you ask her to leave, Br…oops. I almost let it slip."

Damn. Slade knew. He knew that Batman was Bruce Wayne. Damn. "Raven."

Raven shot him a look. "With all due respect, I want to stay. Slade has Robin. We want the same thing."

"Go." He commanded.

She hesitated, but obeyed and left the room. But Batman knew she wouldn't go very far.

"What do you want?" Batman asked.

"To show you how your kids are doing. Well, they're not really your kids now, are they? You're not their father." Slade's image flickered and faded out to a footage of Dick and Sara, masks off and nowhere to be seen, talking and laughing in a small, hotel-looking room. Bruce immediately recorded this footage with his cowl. There may be some clues as to where they were. He didn't believe for a second that Dick and Sara were happy. Especially if Dick found out about what Sara did. How she betrayed him.

Then the image changed and he could see Dick practicing gymnastics in the gym. Sara was on the ground, watching him, cheering him on. Then it was Sara's turn. Just before she was done, Slade entered the room. Sara didn't even notice. She did back flips and somersaults. Then she got into a running routine, escaping an unseen enemy. When she landed, she smiled at Slade. Slade praised her and she seemed to glow with pride. Then it was back to Slade. Batman clicked off the recording in his cowl. There was no need to record whatever stupid taunts Slade was going to throw at him.

"As you can see, they're happier here with me. Don't worry, I'll take good care of them." Slade disappeared again, and the window closed down. Now all that was there was the email between Sara and Slade, like a last taunt to Batman, saying that Sara was a traitor. After all, she'd been trained as one for three years.

Batman sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. _Don't worry. I'll find you two. Somehow._

**Author's Note: **Damn it Slade, stop confusing the issue! So, despair is in the air. Ha, that rhymed. You never know though, things just mind work out. Tune in next week! Review please!


	17. Chapter 16: Facing the Truth

**Disclaimer:** Sadly, I don't own Teen Titans.

**Author's Note:** So, it's time to face facts, hence the name of this chapter. This chapter isn't just about Robin being mad at Oriole (I don't blame him either)

Oriole

Chapter 16: Facing the Truth

Oriole

12:30 am

Location Unknown

Oriole knocked on Robin's door. No answer. "Ro? Come on, I know you're in there. Robin, please, you don't know the whole story." She waited. Then, finally, the door swung open. Robin stepped aside to let her in. He closed the door behind her.

"Alright, you get five minutes." He sat down on his bed and watched her with an expression of suspicion on his face. Oriole was determined to get rid of that look.

"When I found out who Slade was to you, when you wouldn't tell me the whole story, I knew that he could only be after two things: you or Change."

"What is-"

"It means I can give my powers to someone else. I thought he might want my powers. That's the reason why I didn't think he would kill me. Because once you kill one of us, Change is impossible."

"Three minutes. Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I wasn't ready to believe that he was after you. I never thought he would go after you until I Changed him. But then he had that electricity dude-"

"Overload."

"-Overload kidnap me. He told me that he didn't want Change. That same night I had another vision."

"Of Bruce?"

Oriole shook her head. "Of you." Robin's eyes widened. Oriole wondered why that would be such a shock. But she continued with her story, "At first I was running from Slade. But then he just appeared right in front of me with a gun aimed at me. He apologized for some reason and pulled the trigger. And then…" Oriole swallowed. Her vision played back before her eyes as if she were reliving it. The sound of gunfire, the smell of Robin's blood, the hate for Slade, the fear for Robin, the blood on her hands when she caught him. All these elements came back into focus. "Then you…you stepped in front of me. You were, you were trying to protect me and you…you were shot. The bullet went straight through your heart, there was nothing I could do. And then…you died."

"All I was going to do was hand myself over to Slade, to get him to leave you alone, anything to save you. But then he told me that he wanted both of us. I figured that if we were with him out of the city, then my vision couldn't come true. I know that you didn't want to come here and I knew you'd rather risk the odds of my vision happening, but I didn't. I didn't want to risk it." Her voice became shaken, quivering. "I couldn't bear seeing you die again. So I helped Slade take us away."

"If all of this is true, and I'm not saying for a second that I believe you but if I did, why would you try to escape? Wouldn't you trust Slade?"

"No. I found out that the visions aren't real. Slade made them all up. And I don't know how he knew about the Disney World thing but-"

"Disney World?"

"Yeah, when you died, you said "Sorry I couldn't take you to Disney World, sis."I know it's cheesy but-"

"You really fell for that?"

"You said you wanted me to go there once upon a time."

Robin threw up his hands, "Sara, even I don't remember that!" He sighed. "Okay, so the visions aren't real. So what? I'm not gonna die, hooray for me."

"You sound very enthusiastic."

"Well what do you expect, Sair? You turned us in for nothing! That's beside the point anyway! You should've told me. You shouldn't've kept it a secret! Why didn't you say something?"

"Because I was afraid!" She yelled. Honestly, Robin was getting on her nerves. Why couldn't he just understand? He was so pigheaded sometimes. "I was afraid that something would happen to you. I was scared that it would be my fault. I didn't want to lose you like I lost my parents."

At the last sentence, Robin's solemn look softened. In a quieter and kinder voice, he muttered, "You still should've told me."

"Why?" She snapped, "So you could tell me that everything was gonna be okay? So you could give me stupid reassurances that I didn't want? I knew what you would say, Ro. That's why I didn't tell you. I didn't want you to tell me it was gonna be okay, I didn't want you to tell me you weren't worried, and I didn't want you to say that we would figure something out when the truth is you couldn't!"

"Then what did you want?" Robin's voice grew louder. Now he was just as frustrated as Oriole was.

"I don't know! Finding my own way…which I did, but it didn't turn out so well." Robin shot her a look that practically screamed "I told you so." "Okay, you were right! I should've said something! Is that what you wanted to hear?"

He looked away. In other words, he wasn't sure. Oriole sighed. "Look, I know you must hate me and you have every right to. I know I don't deserve you forgiveness…but I need it. I can't do this alone. I need to have someone on my side. Ro, please, please forgive me. I am so sorry. Like, words-can't-describe sorry."

Robin said nothing for the longest time. For a while, Oriole sat in silence, biting her lip as she waited for Robin to either reject her or forgive her. Finally, Robin sighed. "I need some time, okay?"

Oriole nodded. "I understand. Ro, can you answer one question for me?"

He shrugged.

She bit her lip. "Is there any way you'll ever trust me again?"

"I don't know. You haven't given me much of a reason to."

She flinched at the words. He was right, but hearing him say it so casually stung. "Okay, I'll…I'll leave you alone."

She let herself out. When she got to her own room, she slumped against the door. "How will I ever make him understand?"

Batman

12:30 am

Batcave

Bruce ran a hand through his hair. Why did Sara do this? Why did she hand herself and Dick over to a mercenary that wanted her dead? She wasn't suicidal as far as Bruce could tell. He slammed his fist onto the keyboard. Even with all of the information the Titans had given him about Slade, he couldn't figure out where Slade would take them. And he didn't have any leads on his real name.

"Master Bruce?" Alfred stood just behind Bruce.

"Why would she trust Slade, Alfred?" He didn't have to specify who "she" was.

"Perhaps she was afraid, sir. A death threat is more than a girl her age should be going through."

"But that's not like her. Do you…do you think she's become an assassin again? Do you think she hasn't changed, even after all these years?"

"I don't know, sir. What I do know is: Ms. Sara knows what she has done. By now she must know the gravity of her situation. And if Master Dick doesn't already know what she's done, he will soon. When he does find out, he will turn his back on her and Sara will be alone. She's always been a confused and lost young woman. And being sent to Jump City probably only made things worse."

"Are you saying this is my fault?"

"No. I'm just confirming what you already know, sir."

"And what do I already know, Alfred?"

"That whatever Ms. Sara's intentions, she was doing what she thought was best. And now that she's there and knows what she did was wrong, she will be as lost as ever. Sara is in a dangerous place and if Master Dick does turn his back on her, they will both be worse than alone."

"I can't do anything about that."

"No, but when you do find them, try to be compassionate towards her. She's already had to lose Master Dick's trust. Don't make her think she's lost yours as well." And with that, Alfred turned and walked away, leaving Bruce alone with his thoughts.

Sara wouldn't betray Dick would she? Would she? It was easier to accept the fact that she would than she wouldn't. If she wouldn't, he would have to find out what exactly happened. If she would, well that's all there was to it. All of the Titans believed it. All except one. Dick's "girlfriend," Starfire. Bruce didn't approve, but he didn't say anything to her. After all, he hardly knew her, and Starfire only knew that he and Dick had had their disagreements. Starfire's theory was that Sara was afraid for Dick about something. Though why that would cause her to go running to Slade was beyond Bruce. There was undeniable proof that Sara had betrayed all of them.

But he couldn't ignore the little clue at the very end of her email to Slade.

Don't hurt him.

If she didn't care, why would she say something like that? Bruce sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose and asked himself for the billionth time, "_What the hell was she thinking?"_

Robin

7:24 pm

Location Unknown

Robin lay on the couch, remote in hand, flipping through channels on the TV. There wasn't anything good on and all of the channels with any kind of clue as to where they were had a parental block on them. Robin could've hacked into it easily, but he didn't want to push Slade. And Sara would know where they were, after all she was the one that was working with Slade. Wintergreen came in and began dusting the bookshelves behind him.

Robin ignored him. Instead, he wondered where Slade was right now. Slade left them with the day off, either to let them blow off steam or try to get Oriole and Robin to make up, he had no clue. Maybe Slade was on an assignment. Robin shied away from the thought.

"Richard," Wintergreen began.

"Don't call me that." Robin replied, without much force behind it. He was tired.

Wintergreen ignored him. "Richard, you should talk to Sara. She is emotional…and a bit of a pain."

Robin rolled his eyes. Like he cared. She betrayed him. Why should that matter to him? But…she apologized this morning. And she explain everything. He knew why she did this, but it was hard to let go of his anger. …Still, he had to talk to her. "Fine." He turned the TV off and stood. He left Wintergreen alone and went to go find Sara.

The door was open. She was in her room, laying on her bed, listening…to an iPod? He knocked on the door. Sara's head shot up and she looked at Robin. Taking the headphones out of her ears, she said in a soft voice, "Come in."

"Hey. Uh…" he searched for something to talk about that wouldn't be too awkward. "Where did you get the iPod?"

"Wintergreen. He gave you one too. He said they're from Slade. I don't believe him though."

"Uh huh," he mumbled. He didn't say anything else. He just shifted between his feet.

Sensing his awkwardness, she asked, "So what's up? Did you need something?"

"Um…yeah. I just, well, I get why you did what you did, Sara, I do, but…"

"But it doesn't excuse what I did. I know." Her face fell, disappointment evident.

"But…that doesn't mean that I don't forgive you." Hope flickered to life in her eyes. "I can't say that I completely trust you again, but I do know that you'll do anything to get out of here. If we wanna get out, we'll need each other's help. And you've gotten into Slade's only computer in this place, so you're the only one of us that knows how to get out. We need to leave. Like now. Right now."

Oriole shook her head. "It's not that simple. We need to plan this out. I know the closest city is Cody, but it'll be near impossible getting there without a car."

"Why didn't you think of that last time?"

"Because breaking into the garage is gonna be hard and I know that there's another house close by. And I figured we could use their car."

"Wait wait, you said something about Cody? Who's Cody?"

"Not who. What. We're near Cody, Wyoming."

"Wyoming! How in hell are we gonna get back to Jump City?"

Oriole smiled grimly. "That's where planning comes in. Look, I know that Slade's out today and it's a perfect advantage, but it'll take more than a day to plan this out. I know you want to leave, I do too, but that doesn't mean we can get sloppy."

Robin sighed. He was afraid of that. "Why don't we go hack into Slade's computer right now then? He's out so-"

Oriole shook her head again, "The cameras are set on motion sensors. I know; I've tried. I'm on surveillance and checked on regularly by the Sladebots. It kinda sucks. I don't think either of us will be going to the security room any time soon."

"But we have to start planning."

"Ro, this won't work until we gain Slade's trust. Then he'll stop being so paranoid and go back to terrible way of guarding the security room."

"And if he doesn't? This isn't exactly foolproof, Sair."

"Do you have a better idea?"

Robin opened his mouth to speak, but could find nothing to say. She had a point. But what if this didn't work?

**Author's Note:** YAY! They're back on friendly-ish terms. And Bruce is beginning to question who's side Sara's really on. Do you even know the correct answer? Tune in next week everyone! Oh, btw, I've decided I'm gonna post Sundays now. I know that most people do Fridays, but school's starting up next week and I've hit the infamous writer's block. Thanks for your support everyone! Please review!


	18. Chapter 17:This Wasnt Supposed To Happen

**Disclaimer:** I know it sucks but we have to face facts: I don't own Teen Titans.

**Author's Note: **Que te pasa, todos? How are you, everyone? You know, for some reason it's a great day. I saw Columbiana on Thursday. That was an awesome movie. And my mom kept asking me if this was really PG-13. She thought it should've been a higher rating. Oh, mothers. Can't live with them, can't live without them.

Okay, so moving right along, welcome to Chapter 17 everyone! By the title of the chapter you probably inferred that something is gonna go wrong in this chapter. And you would be correct! Enjoy! Oh, and thanks for the 1,000 views everyone! It feels good to have so many people read this.

Oriole

Chapter 17: This Wasn't Supposed to Happen

Oriole

4:30 pm

Location Unknown

Two Days Later

Sara followed Slade through the desert and into a small forest, lush with vegetation and wildlife. Earlier that afternoon, Slade decided that since Robin was having so many lessons that it wasn't fair that he was hardly training her at all. And to be honest, that was fine with Sara. If she had to put up with Slade for a few of his stupid lessons to keep him off Robin's back, so be it. Robin seemed to put up with her, but she knew he didn't fully forgive her yet. And that was okay, she'd done a terrible thing and she was willing to play the price.

Slade hadn't tried to hide the fact that he had a gun, but that didn't bother her as much anymore. She didn't know what Slade was going to train her in, but she had a sneaking suspicion that it had to do with that gun. They came to an open field with a small babbling brook running past.

"Look over there." Slade pointed toward the meadow. Among the tall grass and flowers was a herd of deer. Near the clovers was a doe and her fawn, grazing peacefully. Sara suppressed a laugh as she watched the fawn stumble over a log.

She started at Slade's hand gripping her wrist and reflexively pulled away, but he was stronger than her. "You'll need this." Something cold and metallic lay in her hand. And before looking at it, she knew what it was. The gun looked foreign in her hands. She hadn't held a gun for so long. Every muscle in her body stiffened as she threw the gun away like it was a snake. Slade went over and retrieved it calmly and put it back in Sara's hands, this time forcing the gun to aim at the biggest buck. "You remember how to aim, I trust?" He asked conversationally.

"Please, I can't. Please. Please don't make me-"

"It's not hard. Just aim and fire." He said simply.

"Slade, please. Please, no."

"Sara, I don't want excuses. I want results. Kill it. Here, I'll help." He grabbed her hand and pushed her finger to jam onto the trigger and clicked off the safety. "Aim for its chest."

As if he'd flicked a switch in her brain, Sara found herself taking aim and positioning to fire. Before she could stop herself, the gunshot echoed around the clearing and the buck fell, probably dead.

Sounding impressed, Slade praised her. "Not bad. That was actually an excellent shot, Sara. I'm pleased. Come, we need to clean it."

"Sir, may I go back to the house?" She felt grief beginning to press in on her. She'd taken a life. That buck would never see another sunset. True, he was just a deer, but that didn't mean much. Slade had won. She'd used a gun and killed with it. How long would it be before Slade sent her out to kill a person?

Robin

4:45 pm

Location Unknown

Robin flopped onto his bed exhausted. Slade gave him the rest of the day off as of twenty minutes ago. What had he done with those twenty minutes? Showered. It'd been a long day of training and he'd been drenched in sweat. So he'd stood in the shower, letting the hot water run down his body. It seemed to him that Slade wasn't training Sara at all and only focused on him. Naturally, he thought that this was unfair. But now, just when he was stupid enough to voice this to Slade, he took her outside. What kind of training they were doing, Robin didn't know. And not knowing scared him. Sara was already a skilled killer. She knew all of the things a mercenary should, and he was sure Slade would use that.

He had long since forgiven Sara. After all, she'd been trying to protect him. Though her methods were somewhat…well, illogical to say the least, she was just trying to help. Ever since he found out, Sara seemed hell-bent on making the past two weeks as bearable as she could. For example, earlier today while Slade and Robin were training, Slade got a little too carried away_._

_Sara was off doing some chores for Wintergreen. Or, she was supposed to be anyway. Slade curled his bo-staff around Robin's and swiped it up in the air. He caught it and turned it on Robin. Slade slashed at Robin's sides with both staffs. Robin jumped up to dodge them, but Slade was expecting it and landed a blow to his stomach. And those metal staffs hurt. Winded, Robin fell to the ground. Slade didn't let him up though. He kept kicking him, hitting him with the bo-staffs until there were bruises nearly everywhere on Robin's body._

_ Then Sara came. She encased him in a protective shield and wordlessly helped him to his feet, lifting his arm around her shoulders and pulling him up to stand. She hardly looked at Slade._

_ "Sara. What are you doing here?" Slade hissed at her._

_ She looked him boldly in the face, Robin's arm still on her shoulders. "Wintergreen says that lunch is ready. I thought Ro might want a shower before lunch. And now that I think about it, he should get some bandages for whatever beating you put him through today."_

_ "If you would rather it be you, keep talking." Slade warned._

_ "No, but I think that you're spending more time on Robin than on me. It hardly seems fair." _Alright, alright. Technically, Sara brought it up. But Robin only made it worse later, after lunch._ Sara turned on her heel, and helped Robin out of the room. As soon as they were out of ear-shot, Sara whispered, "Are you alright? That looked nasty."_

_ "Yeah, I'll be okay." Robin tried to pull his arm away from her, but Sara wouldn't have it. Her nails bit into his skin and kept his arm around her shoulders._

_ "Come on, let's get you cleaned up." She led him to his room._

_ Once there, Robin pulled his arm back and took a step towards his bed, but a twinge of pain set off in his lower back. He gasped, and his legs buckled beneath him. Sara caught him and helped him up. He sat on his bed and nursed his aching sides. _

_ "Shirt off." When Robin raised an eyebrow at her, she reiterated. "Well I can't help if I can't see the bruises, can I?"_

_ "Sara, I'm fine. It just smarts a little, that's all."_

_ "Then you wouldn't have any problem with me taking a look at it, would you?" She snapped. She had a no-nonsense type of tone._

_ Robin sighed and pulled off his shirt, wincing as his sides sent another flash of pain when he lifted his arms. Sara took his shirt and laid it out on his dresser. Then she came back to inspect him. When her fingers brushed his back, he winced. He couldn't help it. _

_ "Damn," she muttered under her breath, more awed than angry. "He really did a number on you." _

_ It was true. His back was splotchy red in some places and blue in others. Blood trickled from a scratch across his right shoulder from the bo-staff. But his back wasn't nearly as bad as his chest. His entire lower left side, stomach to bottom of his rib-cage, was black and blue, even a blotchy yellow here and there. Sara retreated into his bathroom and came back with a wet washcloth…correction: cold wet washcloth. It stung the moment it touched his skin. He couldn't help flinching._

_ "Sorry." _

_ He reached for the cloth and she gave it to him. "Look, Sara," He pressed the wet washcloth to his side. It didn't feel nearly as bad. "Slade's gonna kill us if we're late." _

_ A sly smile crept onto her face. "Lunch isn't until noon. It's only 10:30." _

_ "Well it looks like he'll kill you anyway." They both laughed, though it wasn't funny. _

_ "I'm gonna give you some peace okay? Slade probably wants to yell at me anyway. Take care of those bruises. They look really painful." Then she left, leaving Robin wondering why she left so suddenly._

His sides still hurt, and breathing wasn't too fun either, but still…he wondered just what Slade was training Sara in, and why it had to be outside. A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. It was Wintergreen.

"Good evening Richard. I thought you may be hungry." Wintergreen was carrying a round tray that he now uncovered to reveal mouth-watering steak and mashed potatoes.

"Starved," he admitted. "Where's Sara?"

"With Slade. You knew this, Richard."

"We're having dinner without Slade and Sara?" He didn't really know why he was so surprised. Maybe it was just because the only reason they had dinner in the dining room was because of Slade's need to control.

"Slade is training her. The lesson must not be finished."

"What are they doing out there?"

"Slade didn't tell you?" Robin shook his head. Wintergreen paused, and said, "I am just as worried as you will be. Sara has a very firm belief on killing, and this will only upset her."

"What are you talking about?" If Wintergreen was worried, then whatever Slade was "teaching" her would not end well.

"He took her out hunting. She's probably resisting, which is why it's taking them so long to get back." Just as he said that, the front door burst open and Sara ran past them, into her room and slammed the door shut. "And I am going to guess that Sara needs you right now, Richard. Go. I'll leave your dinner on the bedside table."

"Thanks." He ran after Sara and threw the door open. Sara's bathroom door was half open and Sara was fully clothed in the shower, the water running. Robin pushed the door open further. "Sara?" She was sitting in the middle of the shower, knees pulled up to her chin and her arms wrapped around them. She was shivering, but not from the cold water. Robin reached up and turned it off, but she didn't seem to notice. "Sara?"

He put a hand on her shoulder. She flinched away and looked up at him with hate in her eyes. She looked like hell. Whatever had happened, he could tell it would take a while to calm her down. "What do you want?" Her voice was hostile, but also hollow.

"I just came to check on you. Are you okay?"

She looked away and rested her chin on her knees.

"That would be a no then." He sat down next to her. The floor was wet and cold, but he tolerated it. They sat in silence for a while, until Robin finally asked, "What happened?"

A drop of water flowed down her cheek, what he knew wasn't from the shower. Her hands clenched into fists. She spoke so softly that he had to strain his ears to hear what she was saying. "I promised myself that this would never happen again." She unclenched her hands and looked down at them. "I promised myself that these hands would never harm another living thing, that they would never kill again." Another drop splashed onto her hands from her face. Her eyes and hands shut tightly and her fists covered her face.

_Oh my God. She…Slade took her out hunting. I shouldn't have let them go. I shouldn't have thought Slade was above this. _"It's not your fault." When she didn't listen, he grabbed her arms and pulled them away from her face. "Hey, look at me." She opened her bright green eyes and looked up at him, looking so scared and small, like a scared little girl. "This is not your fault. It's Slade's. He killed it. You understand?"

She shook her head miserably. "I pulled the trigger, Dick. I killed that deer. It's my fault."

He wanted to say that it was just a deer, but that would only make her mad at him. He wanted to say that Slade would have killed it anyway, but she'd say that that wasn't the point. He knew that now Slade had opened that door, Sara would unwittingly go through and not be able to come back out. Whatever happened, Slade had the advantage. If this continued, Sara would disappear into a black void, never to come back out again. This was not supposed to happen.

"Sara, I'll be right back, okay? There's a plate of steak and potatoes in my room. I want you to eat something, you hear me? When I get back I want to see you eating." He knew she wouldn't do it, but laying out the option for her made him feel better.

She nodded glumly and lowered her head to her knees, burying her face in her jeans. Dick stormed off to go find Slade. Whatever happened, Slade was going to pay. 

Slade

5:21 pm

Location Unknown

Slade sat in the living room, a remote in his hands as he watched the news. Then, the doors burst open behind him. Slade didn't have to turn around to see who it was.

"What the hell did you do to her?"

"Speaking of Sara, where is she?"

"In the bathroom, not eating and not speaking to anyone. When I got in there she was sitting in the shower, with the shower on, fully clothed. What did you do to her?"

"That must be her coping method. Every weak assassin has one. Though why she's worrying about a deer is puzzling me."

"You made her use a gun! Are you insane? Do you have any idea what this is doing to her! You sick, twisted-"

"Language, Dick. Sara is much stronger than you think. I recognized that. She was taking a little long warming up to guns during her training. I already have to be so patient with you."

"No way would I ever use a-"

"Sara would have said the same thing an hour ago. Funny how such little things can change someone's opinion in such little time."

Dick's lip curled and his fists clenched tightly. Dramatically, he threw the double doors out of his way and stomped out of the room.

Slade rolled his eye. So melodramatic. Well, he knew that Sara would take some time to get over Wayne's hatred of guns, but today had proven useful. After all, he found that Sara was a very good shot.

Batman

3:40 am

Titans Tower

The Next Day

Bruce sat back in the computer chair and put a hand to his forehead. He'd searched through Sara's computer and email all night, but still there was nothing. No clues as to where Slade took them, no evidence that Sara and Dick were even in the same continent anymore. But he had to keep looking. If his theory was right about Sara still being on his side, she would've left some kind of clue. Then, something on the screen caught his eye.

Drafts**(1)**

Maybe…? No, Sara wouldn't leave it as a draft would she? Then again…Bruce sighed and opened the Drafts file, thinking there was nothing but hoping it was a secret message. It was a letter that she was going to send to Bruce. The subject read, "I'm sorry." And judging by the size of the files, it was a long message. There was a video feedback attached to the email. Bruce sucked in a breath and clicked it. A loading screen came up, but was quickly replaced by Sara's face. There were bags under her eyes and she fidgeted nervously.

"Um, hey B. If you're seeing this, Robin and I have been kidnapped by Slade. By now, you probably know that it was me. And I wish I could explain it all in this recording, but there's not enough time to tell you everything. Besides, that's not the point of this video. But Bruce…just know that I didn't do this for me and definitely not for Slade. If and when I see you again, I'll explain everything. But right now you've probably run into a dead end. Slade covers his tracks well."

Bruce nodded. She was right. So what could she possibly have on Slade that would help him find them?

"I know where his secret base is. I don't know if that's where he's taken me and Ro, but that's all I got on him. The schematics are in the email, along with a map. If Slade is keeping us there, don't expect it to be easy." She half-smiled, then sighed and frowned.

"I haven't decided yet if I'm gonna do it. I wish I could talk to you about it, but I'm afraid of what you might say, what you might think. I wish Robin had something else to tell me than his reassurances that he'd be okay, but Ro's always been a bit optimistic."

Bruce smiled. There was no doubt about that. This proved that Sara wasn't on Slade's side. It meant that she would try to escape. …If she was still alive.

"Bruce…I don't expect you to forgive me. I only want you to understand. Slade's been there since the very beginning. I found a picture of Robin and me at the Ball. I think Slade was in the background. Not in a mask, but a disguise. The same one he used on the Titans when Ro first got to Jump. I think…I think Slade's been after Robin for a while. I haven't told Robin, but I think I will if I do hand us over to him."

She paused and shifted in her seat. She must have known the dangers; she must have known all the consequences. So why did she do it?

"If I never see you again, I want to say…Thank you. For everything. Oriole, taking me in, protecting me, everything. I don't know if I'll ever repay my debt to you. Maybe if I save your sorry butt from Joker enough times." She grinned. Sara could always find something to smile about. "So…thanks for everything. And don't worry about me and Ro. I'll keep us safe. I'm sorry I had to do this, and I hope you find us before Slade drives me insane with that aggravating voice of his. I'll see you soon." The recording ended and Bruce leaned back in the computer chair. He opened the email.

Sara's email had the schematics to an old storage compound below Wayne Enterprises. That's where Slade's base was? Bruce had never felt like such an idiot. Slade was just gloating now. Bruce still couldn't believe that this was Sara, the ten year old girl that had been assigned to kill him, the girl that'd saved both he and Robin countless times before…the girl that stayed in Gotham when Robin left. Thinking of Sara, he knew he had to find her. He owed her that much. In her video recording, she'd been so unsure and scared. Now, she must be even more terrified. From what the Titans told him about Slade, Sara's alliance with him wouldn't protect her forever, if it ever did. The only reason he didn't worry about Robin as much was the simple fact that he'd been Slade's apprentice before. If he handled it then, he could now. But, being close to the pair of them, he felt anxious at seeing them again.

"_Don't worry, I'll find you."_

**Author's Note:** Oh yeah, this is the message in a bottle chapter. I almost forgot about that. So, two major things happened in this chapter. 1) Batman now knows the truth behind their disappearance. 2) Sara killed a deer. In any other story, this wouldn't be as big of a deal, but Dick was trying to keep her record clean. Well, that plan's out the window. So, how will this effect Slade's plan? Will Bruce find them? Will this tarnish Sara's conscious forever? Tune in next week to find out! Reviews are very much appreciated.


	19. Chapter 18: Torments of the Past

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Teen Titans.

**Author's Note:** Sorry about the lateness guys, school just started and I totally spaced. Please forgive me!

Oh you guys would not be able to believe how long I've waited for this chapter to come out! If you can infer what this chapter tells us from the title, you will soon find out why Slade has been so lenient with Oriole and harsher with Robin. It's not because she's a girl or anything. Nope, not at all. You will soon find out the mystery behind Slade's odd multiple appearances in Oriole's past and why he's been after her for so long. Hehehe, have fun!

Oriole

Chapter 18: Torments of the Past

Robin

5:23 am

Location Unknown

A knock on the door aroused Robin from his deep sleep. Robin opened his eyes and wondered why he was wearing his mask and why the Titans were waking him up this early. Then he remembered that he wasn't at Titans Tower. He was with Slade, and that was probably Wintergreen at the door. Robin forced himself to get up and out of bed, scratched off the dried drool on his cheek and opened the door to see Sara looking up at him with wide, scared eyes.

"Sara? What's wrong?" He asked immediately. _Slade, if you hurt her…_

"Could I come in?" She looked around in panic. "Please, it's important!"

Dick opened the door wider and Sara stepped in immediately, ripped the door from his fingers and slammed it shut.

"Oh God, what am I going to do? Oh God," she slumped against the door and slid down to the floor. Her fingers dug deeply into her hair and she shook her head. "Was it just a dream? Oh God, what do we do?" All of this was said in about one second.

Robin kneeled down beside her and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Sara, what happened? What dream?"

Her eyes flicked to him, and he saw sheer panic and fear. "He did it! It was him all along! Oh God, he's been following me ever since I was four!"

"Sara, slow down. Take deep breaths. What are you talking about?"

She took a hyperventilated deep breath and attempted to calm down. Then, she whispered, "Ro, he killed my parents. That's why he's been after us. That's why he blackmailed you. That's why he trapped us here. He's been there since the beginning. He probably asked Dent to hire me and take out Bruce too."

Robin's eyes had slowly gotten wider and more shocked with every sentence. When she finished, Robin didn't think his eyes could get any wider. He gulped. Could it be true? Is that where it all started? Did Slade really kill her parents? Oh God, then that meant…

"Ro, we're not just unlucky. He's been planning this for years. We just didn't see it coming."

As both teens accepted this, Robin thought about what this meant for them both. Surely Sara felt a small victory in this: she'd found her parents' killer. But now that she had, what was she going to do about it? If she was as angry with Slade as Robin was with Zucco, Slade had better watch his back. Though he hadn't killed Zucco before, he wanted that man dead. The difference between Robin and Sara was that Sara wouldn't be afraid of crossing that line. After all, she already had before. This didn't help his efforts in keeping Sara's conscious clean. When that dawned on him, his decision was made. She couldn't kill Slade. That would be chaotic at best. Besides, Slade would have some trick up his sleeve. Surely Slade was prepared for this.

As Robin thought this, someone else knocked on his door. Sara moved out of the way and perched herself on the edge of his bed. But just before he opened the door, he saw Sara's muscles bunched together as if ready to spring at any second. The second thing he noticed were the flames curling around Sara's arms and the spark of vengeance in her eyes. Reluctantly and praying it wasn't Slade, Robin pulled open the door.

And of course, Slade was on the other side. Sara hissed at him…literally. "Sara, just who I was looking for."

"I'm sure you were." Robin growled.

Slade's eye flicked to him, and he turned to face the younger. "Am I interrupting?"

_"As if he cares,"_ Robin thought.

"Yes, as a matter of fact you are." Sara snapped.

"Sara, that's no way to talk." Slade snapped harshly. His eye softened, and his tone became softer. "Now, I believe you've learned of some…disturbing facts about the past. Might we discuss this in another room?"

Robin expected her to say no immediately, but Sara surprised him. She huffed an angry sigh and stormed out the door. Slade considered Robin for a moment, then followed her. Robin had the urge to listen in, but remembered Sara's warning to lay low. She was right after all. _Just keep your nose clean, and he won't suspect a thing. _

Slade

5:23 am

Location Unknown

Slade leaned in closer as he watched the feedback from the hidden cameras in the boy's room. Sara was upset about something. Something big. Slade concentrated on her, and tuned in to her thoughts, breaking through her mental walls until he was seeing through her eyes. "Ro, he killed my parents."

_Oh shit. _Slade pulled his subconscious out of the child's mind and mulled over what he just heard. How did she know?

"Is there a problem sir?" Will asked behind Slade. Slade was accustomed to Will popping up out of nowhere, so he didn't jump.

"Not a problem, just a complication." Slade replied. He rose from his computer chair, and passed Wintergreen through the door.

Oriole

5:24 am

Location Unknown

Uncontrollable shivers ran down her spine. She finally got to see the face that belonged to those pair of black boots. But now that she knew, Sara wanted to forget it. She had enough problems with Slade, adding the death of her parents on top of it all was not the best thing right now. Sara knew there would be no way out of this prison Slade kept them in, so why create more problems?

As if an answer to this question, someone knocked on Robin's door. Sara stood and moved out of the way, sitting on the edge of the bed, all of her muscles waiting in anticipation. Robin opened the door and Slade stepped in. Sara hissed angrily, almost clapping her hands over her mouth in shock. _Stay in control. Stay in control. Don't let Slade win._

"Sara, just who I was looking for." Slade acted as if this was a friendly visit, but the worry in Slade's eye said otherwise.

"I'm sure you were." Robin snapped.

Not sending her thoughts out to him, she thought, _"Ro, let me handle this."_

Slade looked at Robin briefly, but then turned back to Sara, "Am I interrupting?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, you are." Sara growled. Her muscles strained at the effort of holding back an attack. She wanted to hurt him. No, she wanted to kill him. She wanted to make him scream and beg for mercy. It was all she could think about.

Slade's eye narrowed, "Sara, that's no way to talk." He paused, and said something unexpected, "Now, I believe you've learned some…disturbing facts about the past." _He even admits that it's true! Oh, he's going to die. _"Might we discuss this in another room?"

_So I can kill you? Sure why not?_ She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, stood and passed Slade out the door, not even sparing a glance at Robin. Slade paused for a second, and followed her. Slade led her to the end of the hall, turned right, and another right into the living room with the huge, stuffed grizzly bear in it. Just outside, Sara stopped.

_What am I doing? I can't kill Slade! That would just be doing what he wanted._ Sara looked down at her trembling hands and was horrified to see that they were sharp claws. She squeezed her eyes shut tight. _What was I thinking? Stay calm, think about something else. Ro, think about Ro. What's he doing right now?_

Sara listened to his thoughts and almost smiled. _"Just keep your nose clean, and he won't suspect a thing. Sara's right. Sara, don't do something stupid."_

She took a deep breath, held her hands up to her face, and opened her eyes, letting out a sigh of relief when they were nails again. Sara walked into the room and shut the door behind her. Slade was watching the fire flicker in the fireplace, his hands folded neatly behind his back.

Sara spoke first, barely controlled anger making her voice quiver. "Why?"

Slade turned and gave her a curious look. "Why what, my dear? You'll have to be more specific."

She frowned. _As if he didn't know…ugh, not much I can do about it._ "Why did you kill them? They didn't do anything to you!"

Slade considered her, and chuckled. "You'll have to be specific, I'm afraid. I've killed many people."

"My parents," She hissed through clenched teeth.

"Ah, your parents. That, unfortunately, was not my decision."

A shiver went down her spine, which always happened when someone lied to her. Why hadn't she sensed it before when Slade had been lying to her about the dream? …Or, even more disturbing, had he been lying at all? That could wait until later. Sara called him out on it, "Liar."

Slade laughed. "You're powers are developing well. But you're right; I chose to kill your parents." An angry growl ripped from her throat. How could he own to such a terrible crime so nonchalantly? The murderer ignored her and continued, "I was arrogant back then. My ego was possibly even bigger than Bruce Wayne's." He highlighted her surrogate father's name.

Pure rage erased the remaining common sense left in her, and it wasn't just because of that jab at Bruce.. She charged for Slade, fire curling up her arms and claws ripping out of her fingers. Slade turned at the last second and caught her wrists in his hands. "You didn't let me finish." His voice had a dangerous tone to it…not that she much cared.

Another hiss escaped her lips. "I'll kill you! I swear you're gonna pay!"

"Sara, I didn't do anything to you."

"You took everything from me! My parents, my friends, now even Bruce! I hate you!"

Raw instinct began to take control of Sara's mind until she wasn't Sara anymore. All she knew was a blinding hate for the man before her and the burning tears blurring her vision. She changed into a wolf and tried to sink her teeth into his throat. The human grabbed her muzzle in his powerful hands and punched her in the side. She flew into the wall and yelped, slumping to the floor. Just then, another smaller human came in. He too wore a mask. The rancid scent of anxiety waved off of this human.

He wasn't a threat. She turned back to the bigger man, the one that her searing hate was aimed for. Changing into a tigress, she charged again, this time aiming a swipe at the man's strong torso. Pleasure rippled through her fur as her claws sank into flesh and the hated man's blood splashed on the floor. The man gasped and buckled to his knees. She roared at him, letting him know just how eminent his death was. But instead of fear, she sensed amusement as a strange guttural noise shook his chest. It registered as laughing in what little human sense was left. "Look at yourself. You could be so much more than what you are." He told her.

She growled and raised her paw to kill him, when the smaller man stepped in front of her. "Sara, stop!"

_Is he talking to me? Wait, he looks familiar. …Ro? Ro! What is he doing? Why would he protect Slade? _She spoke to him, _"Get out of my way. You want him dead as much as I do."_

"Maybe, but not by you." She growled, but he didn't back down. "Sara, I know what he did to you. I know you want him to pay for it. How do you think I feel about Zucco?"

"_Don't you wanna go home? Don't you miss Jump, the Titans? ...Starfire?"_

"Sara, that's not the point."

Sara pulled her lips back over her teeth and snarled. Robin backed away a few steps, looking afraid. Her ears perked up. This wasn't right. He'd never been afraid before. She forced her muscles to relax and backed away from the two men. Changing into a black kitten, she lay down and rested her head on her paws, her tail curling around her thin body.

Robin took a step towards her. "Sara if you kill him, he still wins. And you'll go back to being where you were. We've had this conversation already."

Sara's ears flattened against her head in shame. He was right. Then again, wasn't he always? She stood and slowly, she transformed into a human. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Robin went to her side and squeezed her shoulder comfortingly. She shut her eyes tightly, trying to block out the pain and hate.

Slade got to his feet and dusted himself off. "Really, Sara, you're being ridiculous."

Robin's eyes narrowed at Slade. "Come on, Sair, let's go." He pulled her away and started for the door, but Sara stopped, her hands clenching into fists. "Sara?"

"Am I, Slade? Explain how exactly I'm being ridiculous." Slade said nothing. Instead, he stepped around Robin and Oriole and headed for the door. She caught his arm as he passed. "Answer me. You owe me that much."

"Sara," Robin warned.

Slade wrenched his arm free. "I don't owe you anything, Sara. And you are being the most ridiculous child for losing control of your abilities over your long-since-dead parents."

"How is that childish? I lost my parents to you, you son of a bitch-" Slade backhanded her across the face. Sara hardly flinched.

"Watch your tongue. I understand that you miss your parents, but it's the way of life."

"If they had died from something natural, it would be different, but they didn't, did they? You killed them for your own selfish purposes! And you would've killed me too if my uncle hadn't saved me. Oh, but then again, you killed him too! You've taken everyone I've ever cared about and you don't even have the decency to tell me why!"

"I thought it was obvious by now." That shut her up. What was he talking about? At her confused look, Slade started lecturing her, "Really Sara, I thought you were trained by one of the most famous detectives. Can't you figure it out? What's the one thing everyone in your family had in common?"

"Their powers," Robin said immediately, he too just figured it out. He scowled at Slade. "So who did you kill for your powers?"

Sara's eyes widened. She knew. Just a year ago, her older cousin, whom she stayed in touch with, was pronounced missing. Six months ago, he was found dead in the storm cellar underneath his parents' house, no fatal wounds visible, just a couple of scrapes. Now it made sense. "You killed Brody. He was hardly an adult! How could you?" Sara ran out of the room, leaving Robin and Slade alone. She went straight to her room, slammed the door shut and threw herself on her bed.

Suddenly, the vision of her perfect life with her parents and that day everything changed played like a movie screen before her eyes. _The gunshot went off and her mother's scream echoed through the meadow. Crows took off, cawing loudly. Sara ran through the field, desperately pushing the long grass out of her way. Finally, she came to a small clearing. Her parents lay dead at her feet, her mother's eyes blank and staring into space. The little girl's knees buckled beneath her and she kneeled next to her mom. She looked up and saw black boots._

When she'd finally been able to look up at the man's face, she felt elated. Finally, she was able to see just who her parents' murderer was. But her happiness was short-lived and bitter sweet. As soon as she saw his face, she knew it was Slade. She remembered the picture she found of her and Robin when they first meant, where she found Slade in the background. She remembered the picture she'd found in the Titans' archives of Slade's disguise as an old man. He looked much of the same. The only difference? No eye patch.

She knew what this meant. Slade's been after her for most of her life. He's been after her because of some unfinished business and the names on the hit list with the last names Thompson were probably her parents.

Now she knew why. And if Slade had any sense, he would learn to sleep with his eyes open. _Watch your back Slade. 'Cause as soon as you let your guard down, I'll make you pay._

**Author's Note:** Imagine what Robin would say if he heard her think that. Ha, the picture is pretty funny in my own dark and twisted kind of way.

Muahahaha! Yep, Slade killed Sara's parents. For those of you who went, "WTF!" along with Robin, join the club. Even when I was writing chapter 1, I knew this had to happen to move the story along and to character develop a little, but man oh man I did not, repeat NOT, want to put Sara through this. But, se la vie, it had to be done.

Okay, so thoughts and comments go in the reviews. Please do review, btw. Hope you enjoyed this chapter (and maybe hated it a little too), next chapter is gonna be even more awesome. See you all next week! TTFN.


	20. Chapter 19:No More Games

**Disclaimer: **No, officer, I don't own Teen Titans.

**Author's Note:** Recap: Slade killed Sara's parents and nearly killed her, but her uncle saved her (that will be explored more, I promise). Now Sara's hell bent on revenge and Robin's still trying to keep Sara from going back to her assassin mind set. What will happen this week? Well read to find out.

Oriole

Chapter 19: No More Games

Oriole

3:45 pm

Location Unknown

Fifteen Days After Capture

Oriole's days were spent doing chores for Wintergreen, hunting with Slade in the afternoon, and recuperating at dusk, preparing for the next day of torture. Her nights, on the other hand, were completely different. Every night had two different outcomes, both negative in Robin's perspective. Her dreams were the problem. Either she saw Robin's death again and again in many different scenarios, or she saw Slade's. As for her dream of Robin, never before had she had so clear of a vision, or had it occur so many times. It terrified her, and this time she knew it wasn't Slade's doing. Slade's death was what she hoped was a vision, but knew was a dream. Always, she saw a smile on her face…and a gun in her hands.

Though Slade took her out hunting every single day, she still wasn't comfortable with using a gun. Then again, if the bullet went through Slade's chest, she wouldn't mind. But no, Slade made absolutely sure that he was always behind her and that she couldn't quick draw her gun. Slade always held the weapon, unless Sara was shooting at a deer. As soon as the shot was fired, Slade would take the gun back.

She told Robin that she would kill Slade. Robin tried to talk her out of it, but her mind was set. This was the man that took everything away from her. He would die. And if Sara had her way, Slade would die in agony. She wanted to make him scream. It was all she could think about.

Now normally, Sara would be out with Slade in the forest, hunting, but the whole day today, Slade had some business somewhere. She didn't know where, and she honestly didn't care. Oriole spent the afternoon with Robin, training, as assigned to do by Wintergreen. The butler watched for about two minutes before he found something better to do with his time.

As they trained, Oriole noticed a distinct change in Robin. The way he fought was different, more aggressive, though she knew that he was going easy on her. He still used his acrobatics as an asset, but it was different somehow. She felt confused. How could that much change in a little over two weeks?

Oriole snapped out of her thoughts as Robin landed a kick to her jaw. She stumbled and fell to the ground. Robin laughed, "Are you okay?"

Oriole massaged her jaw, muttering, "Yeah, I'm alright. I only got a kick in my face."

He offered her a hand, "Sorry. Are you sure you're okay? I mean, you've been distracted the entire day."

She shrugged.

"It's the dreams again, isn't it? Sara, you're supposed to tell me about this stuff. What happened?"

"Robin, relax. That's not what's bothering me."

"Then what is?"

He only received another shrug.

"Sara, you've got to trust me. If something's bothering you, you have to tell me. I can't-"

"Can't I keep my thoughts to myself? And don't act like you're any better, you're ten times worse with bottling your emotions up! Don't even think about denying it!" At Robin's shocked face, she sighed and said in a lower, calmer voice, "Look, I'm just a little stressed out okay? We haven't been able to hack Slade's computer and we're no closer to finding a good enough distraction to get to the garage. I'm just…I'm just wondering if we'll ever get out of here." She let that thought hang in the air for a minute.

Robin finally said, "Of course we'll get out. Sara, as soon as Slade lets his guard down-"

"That's just it Ro. I don't know if he ever will."

"Well he left us alone with Wintergreen today, so that has to mean something."

Just out of curiosity, she asked, "Yeah, where is he today?"

"Wintergreen said something about Gotham I think. …Sara? You okay?"

Sara was frozen in the spot. Slade in Gotham? Surely, he wouldn't go after Bruce so soon…would he? "What did you say?" she asked in a hush, hoping she'd heard him wrong.

"Wintergreen said he's in Gotham. Why?"

Panic flooded her system. _No._ This couldn't be happening. She'd tried to find a phone, a cell phone, even tried to log on to Skype on Slade's personal laptop to warn Bruce, but she couldn't. There wasn't any internet or phone service.

Robin took her hand and squeezed it. "Sara? What's wrong? Why is that a big deal?"

Sara tried to find her voice, but all she could manage was, "No."

"No, what? Sara, you have to give me something here! I don't know what's going on! Why are you so scared?"

Finally, she could speak again. "Because of what he's after." With that she raced out of the room and headed towards Wintergreen. He would know what "business" Slade was doing in Gotham. He would tell her too, if he knew what was good for him.

Robin

4:00 pm

Location Unknown

"Because of what he's after." Her eyes were now the size of saucers. Without another word she ran down the hall and disappeared around a corner. Confused and a little curious, Robin followed her.

When he finally found her in the living room, Sara had Wintergreen pinned to the wall, a fireball hanging over his head. "Why is Slade in Gotham?"

Robin's eyes widened. What could Slade possibly be after in Gotham that Sara would be so scared about?

Wintergreen seemed calm, hardly worried about Sara. "I already told you, Sara; he's taking care of personal business."

"Sara, what are you doing?" Robin ran over to her and pulled her away from Wintergreen. She didn't fight him.

Sara looked terrified. She grabbed Robin by the arms. "Ro…I think he might be going after Bruce."

Robin's eyes widened and he looked back at Wintergreen. The butler said nothing. Then, "What are you two doing?" Slade stood in the doorway, his eye a slit.

Sara's eyes narrowed at him. She ran at him and pinned him to the wall, flames enforcing her. "What the hell did you do to Batman?"

Slade looked amused, but angry. "What are you talking about, Sara?"

Robin stepped in. "You went to Gotham! What did you do to Bruce?"

"Oh, you two are worried about that. I honestly don't understand why you are worried about him. He turned his back on you both."

"That's a lie." Robin snapped.

Sara's hand on his throat tightened and her eyes gleamed with hatred. "Where. Is. He?"

The amusement in Slade's eye disappeared. "Sara, if you don't let me go right now-"

"Skip the threats. What did you do?"

Robin was just as shocked as Slade was. Was that really Sara?

Slade's eye narrowed. His fist rammed into Sara's gut then up into her chin. Her head flew back and her legs buckled beneath her. Sara collapsed on the ground. Robin reached for a bo-staff from his utility belt…only to find it empty.

"You didn't think I'd leave you with a weapon did you?" Slade muttered. "As for Bruce Wayne, he's alive. Actually he just came back from vacation if I remember correctly."

"He's lying." Sara countered instantly. She got to her feet and stood tall, though her stomach probably stung to say the least. Slade's eye narrowed at her. She glared back at him. "Don't bother with the threats Slade. You don't have anything on me."

"Who said blackmail was the only punishment?" He growled.

Sara shrugged. "I've probably faced worse: shot in the leg, Joker's elaborate torture, the whole she-bang. I can take anything you can dish."

"Sara," Robin warned. Slade had that dangerous gleam in his eye. He knew that that look meant it was time to back off. But she didn't listen.

Slade stepped forward until they were toe-to-toe. Sara looked up at him defiantly. Slade brought his fist down, but was stopped by Sara's shield. She smirked at him and crossed her arms across her chest. Slade's eye narrowed, but it wasn't in anger.

Fire sparked to life beneath Sara's feet, catching the ankle of her pant leg. Sara cried out in natural fear, when she calmed herself and remembered that she could control fire. She willed it away and smiled up at Slade.

"Thanks for the fire." As she spoke, the flames gathered into a ball over Slade's head. She smiled. "So are you done? Good. I thought you might be, so listen up. I'm not afraid of you anymore. You can threaten and torture me all you want, but I will never give in to you. Robin and I are leaving. Don't get any bright ideas about following us or I will kill you, understand?"

Robin flinched at her words. She actually sounded threatening and he'd seen that look before: when she was about to kill. She was telling the truth. If Slade was smart, he would listen to her. He was. When Slade did nothing, Sara directed her thoughts to Robin.

_"Robin, there's a go-bag under my bed. It's wrapped in a towel. It should have everything we need in it."_

Robin didn't want to leave her alone, but he also wanted to stay on her good terms. He backed out of the room and ran to Sara's room. The backpack was exactly where she said it would be. It had street clothes, a sleeve of saltine crackers, a soda bottle full of water and both of their cell phones. _"How did you get our cell phones? And why haven't you tried to call with them?_

_ "Nicked them. And there isn't any service. Is everything there? Including our weapons? They should be in the front pocket._"

Robin zipped up the back and opened the front pocket, to find Oriole's utility belt, full of supplies, Robin's bo-staff, and all the bird-a-rangs they'd had when they were brought here._ "You're amazing you know that?"_

_ "It pays to be prepared. I'll meet you back here."_ Oriole's thoughts were very brusque, very to the point. Robin hurried back, finding Oriole handcuffing Wintergreen and Slade to the curtain bar.

"You won't get far, Oriole." Slade said matter-of-factly.

Oriole snapped her fingers and a fire lit in her palms, so close to Slade's mask. "Say that one more time and I'll burn you to a crisp." She turned to Robin, snuffing the flames out. "Shall we?" She went to his side, but stopped at the door. "You're gonna wanna unlock each other's handcuffs before the flames get to you." She threw the keys at Wintergreen's feet. Then, snapping her fingers, she made the living room catch fire.

Robin was about to protest at just leaving them like that, but there was a window right behind them and they had the keys to the handcuffs, so they'd make it out. At least that's what he kept telling himself.

Oriole led Robin right to the garage. As soon as they passed the doorway, the alarm went off. Sara didn't seem to care. Heating the metal of the garage door, she manipulated it to open for them while Robin hacked the hidden safe for the keys. With the car started and the garage door open, Oriole slid into the driver's seat, Robin in the passenger. "You do know how to drive this thing right?"

Oriole nodded and buckled herself in. "Are you ready to go home?"

Robin smiled. "Home. It's been two weeks. What do you think has changed?"

"Nothing, other than us not being there. Let's fix that."

**Author's Note:** Drive gawddammit! Hooray, they're escaping! But uh…Sara was kinda ruthless with Slade and Wintergreen earlier…what could that mean? And something about all of this bothers me. Would Slade really have made it that easy to get out? Haha, I'm so evil. Okay, please review as always and tune in next week for chapter 20. …whoa, is it really already chapter 20 next? Huh. Weird. Anyway, thanks for sticking with me guys, see ya next week!


	21. Chapter 20:Escape! Kind Of

**Disclaimer:** Sorry to disappoint you, everyone. I don't own Teen Titans.

**Author's Note:** Finally! They got away! Now for the hard part. Actually getting back. What will happen? Will this be a clean getaway or will something go wrong? Read on to find out!

Oriole

Chapter 20: Escape…Kind of.

Raven

11:43 am

Titans Tower, Jump City

3 days after Escape

The abandoned storage facility under Wayne Enterprises was a dead end. The only thing left was a DVD with a recording on it. Originally, they thought it was a contract for Slade. But no, Slade left the recording on it himself. And it was specifically meant for the Titans.

"It's good to see you all again, Titans. The challenge has been…refreshing. I assume that Sara left you some last minute instructions for you to find us. It's because of that reason I did not stay in Jump City. I'm telling you all this only to discourage any false hopes you may have. If you do see Robin and Oriole again, they will be my apprentices." Slade's aggravatingly calm voice was starting to get to Raven.

"That will not happen!" Starfire argued.

"Starfire, it's a recording. He can't hear you." Raven chided, though she wanted to say the same. What if Slade was right? Robin was Slade's apprentice once, and Batman told them that Oriole had been an assassin once. Could Slade turn them into criminals? Would they be against Robin and Oriole next time they saw them?

Slade continued. "Deny it all you want, Titans. This will come to pass. And there's nothing you can do to stop it." Raven suppressed a shiver. Slade said the same thing to her on her birthday two years ago. "Now, as to the real reason I left this for you to find. Oriole was once an assassin, as I'm sure you discovered either through Robin's files or the Batman. Though I'm not so sure Batman would care enough if Robin disappeared but with both of his wards gone, I suppose he'll need some kind of cover story."

No one else noticed, but Batman's fist clenched. That snide comment ticked him off.

"Since Oriole knows how to be a mercenary, I'm putting her to the test once she's ready. Because I don't have to train her, it won't take long at all. I will send her after one of you Titans…or a member of the Justice League. I haven't decided yet. Again, deny it all you like. But you'll be surprised how easily trust can be broken and transformed into anger. Unfortunately for you, I'm good at helping push that process along. I want Oriole to have the ultimate challenge, so please do tell the Justice League to set up any security they like. You see, Oriole's race doesn't have a Kryptonite. So, good luck."

The recording cut off there. They watched that just a week ago. Immediately, Batman called the Justice League for a meeting and left the Titans to fend for themselves. Two days later, Batman returned and announced that there wasn't any evidence on the DVD and that he was coming back after he stopped in Gotham to warn Batgirl, who had been watching the city for him. Batman didn't seem surprised or upset by what Slade said, and that scared the Titans. Other than Robin, Batman knew her best. If he didn't doubt she would come after them, he was probably right. And she'd already almost killed Beast Boy once.

Cyborg had security up around the clock and only Batman, Beast Boy, Cyborg, Raven and Starfire could deactivate it. Now, the Titans only left the Tower for missions and they always stayed together. They offered to let Batman stay with them, but he again declined and stayed at some hotel. No one knew where he was staying or why he insisted on staying there, but no one questioned him.

It'd been two days since then. Nothing. No other threats from Slade, no other developments, no reports of attacks. It was as if Slade, Robin and Oriole vanished off the face of the Earth. Until one day, Beast Boy answered the Titans hotline, "Titans Tower, Beast Boy speaking. How may we save you today?" Cyborg face-palmed. Raven rolled her eyes. As Beast Boy listened, his eyes widened and his ears perked up. "Okay, hang on, I'm putting you on speaker." The green Titan pressed the speaker phone button and said, "Okay, you're on. Everyone's listening."

"Guys? Can everyone hear me?"

Batman stared at the phone, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. "Oriole?"

Oriole

5:31 pm

Somewhere near Buffalo Bill Dam

Day of Escape

Oriole was exhausted. They'd been driving for an hour and a half and still there was nothing. They'd gone through miner tunnels, seen beautiful scenery and they were going over the bridge of Buffalo Bill Dam. Robin, who was reading the map, said that they just had to make it to Cody and find a phone. She hoped he was right. Thankfully, Slade hadn't found them so far.

"How far 'til we reach Cody?"

"Sara, we just reached the Dam."

"So?"

"You asked me how far just five minutes ago!"

"Can you blame me for being nervous? We've been on the road for an hour. Slade could've left just twenty minutes after us and there was that crazy busy highway we had to go on. I'm just worried."

"Cheer up. We got out at least. That's more than I ever did."

"You never talk about being Slade's apprentice. You only told me that he blackmailed you about the Titans but you never said what he threatened to do."

Robin looked out the window, saying nothing.

Oriole sighed. "Good talk."

"Can we just not talk about Slade in general? I mean, look at this place. It's beautiful."

Oriole laughed. "Oh yeah, gorgeous! And the man-made dam and tourist trap really brings it all together."

Robin shot her a look. "Don't spoil this for me."

"Ro, we're on the run from a psychotic murderer with tons of Sladebots. We can't contact anyone until we reach Cody, which is still another half-an-hour away. We're running low on fuel and somehow I'm going to "ruin it for you?" Honestly, do you hear yourself speak sometimes?"

"Do you?" He countered. "You're being paranoid!"

"For good reason! This guy killed my parents and they were twice as strong as me. Even without his powers, Slade could kill me without breaking a sweat!"

Robin looked out the window again and muttered, "That's not true."

"Isn't it, Ro? Are you sure about that?"

"Slade won't kill you."

"How do you know?" She snapped.

"For the same reason he won't kill me! You're too important to his little scheme. He doesn't want to lose you as a liability to me."

"That doesn't mean anything and you know it! There are plenty of "liabilities to you" out there. Starfire for example. Actually, she'd probably be a better asset to Slade."

Robin's hands curled into fists. "He wouldn't dare."

"He would. Which is why running isn't going to help anything! We need to take the fight to him, on our terms.

"You're only saying that because you want to kill Slade."

"No! I-"

Out of nowhere, a Jeep rammed into them, two Sladebots inside. Sara hit the brakes and pulled over. "Damn it!" She got out of the car and lit flames in her hands. But then, another Jeep came up behind them and just barely missed Sara, but hit their car. Oriole's eyes widened when she saw the car begin to topple over the edge. "Robin! Get out of the car!"

He didn't have to be told twice. He ripped off his seatbelt and threw open the door. But it didn't really matter; they were surrounded. Feeling the power building up inside of her, Oriole lit the gas in the cars, making the cars explode. Parts went flying, but Oriole wasted no time watching. She took Robin's hand and ran into the woods behind them, following their car down, only more carefully. But then, they reached the Dam. Or at least the walls of it. It stretched on for so long and they had a ways to go still.

"Jump!" Oriole yelled over the falls, which was just across the trench.

"Are you crazy!"

"Trust me. If we try to go around, he'll catch us again. I can keep us safe."

"Oh, I don't think you'll be going anywhere." Both teens spun around. Slade stood right behind them, Sladebots coming out of the forest on both sides.

Oriole scowled at him. She took Robin's hand in hers and squeezed. Robin squeezed back, dropping her hand after in preparation. Not even bothering to back up, they back flipped into the trench. As they fell, Oriole could see the ground racing up to meet them.

"Now what?" Robin hollered over the rushing wind.

Oriole's eyes turned green and fire flickered over the water's edge. It began boiling and the hot air actually began slowing them down. But then a gunshot rang and Oriole gasped, her body going limp. The last thing she heard was, "Oriole!"

Slade

5:39 pm

Near Buffalo Bill Dam

Slade gathered together his Sladebots and divided them into six pairs to go search for Robin and Oriole. It would be a while for them to regain consciousness, especially Oriole, so they should be where they fell. The problem was they fell into moving water. By the time he found them, they could be halfway to Shoshone National Forest. Or worse, Robin may wake up and find help before Slade could find him. The only place close enough to the river for Oriole to be treated was Cody. But that would be too far for Robin to carry her and, knowing Robin's heroic character, he wouldn't leave her behind.

Though Slade was confident in recapturing Robin and Oriole, there was one thing that bothered him. While Sara held him and Wintergreen waiting for Robin, she'd shown no mercy. Not that that was a bad thing necessarily, but she still had to learn her place. If she thought it was with Wayne, she didn't fully understand her own abilities. Yet more evidence was her loss of control. If she survived this escape attempt, he would have to teach her some self-control.

Thinking of Sara's abilities, he had an idea. Perhaps he could locate the teenagers through telepathy. Even after a year of having these abilities, he was still finding more and more uses for them. Casting out his senses, he felt an overwhelming amount of thoughts. Squirrels, deer, elk, a bear here and there, humans at the Dam Site, but the insects overwhelmed the rest of them. There were billions of them everywhere. Slade closed his mind off to the rest of the world and took a deep breath to steady him. He had sensed Robin and Oriole, but it was vague and fuzzy, he only knew that they were nearby. Trying to find them through thoughts would be impossible.

_Oh well,_ Slade thought. _I'll have to find them the old fashioned way._ And so, Slade set out to find the two children.

**Author's Note:** Ha, I knew they'd get out…wait, what? Oriole got shot? *GASP!* Thought and comments in reviews as always. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Ciau!


	22. Chapter 21: Hurry!

**Disclaimer:** No, I don't own Teen Titans. Sorry for the disappointment.

**Author's Note:** Thanks to the people who actually leave reviews and have favorite either me or Oriole. I can't tell you how much it means to me. So, when we last left Oriole and Robin, Oriole was shot and they fell off a cliff into a river with Slade in hot pursuit. What will happen next? Oh, and sorry I left you guys hanging until now. School is a bitch. Enjoy this chapter. Read and review please!

Oriole

Chapter 21: Hurry!

Robin

7:02 pm

The Forest near Cody

Robin's eyes snapped open. His mouth was half open in the water. He spluttered and coughed, getting to his hands and knees. His entire body was soaking wet, his hair stuck to his face and his clothes were plastered to his body. The sun was just beginning to set over the horizon. How did he get there?

Then he remembered falling down the waterfall, the gunshot. Sara. "Sara?" His voice rasped. He looked around and saw her purple sleeve sticking up over a few rocks. He crawled over to her, weakly and stopped when he saw pinkish water. "Sara!" Robin got to his feet and ran to her, adrenaline making him stronger. She was in a pool of blood-stained water.

Robin tried to lift her, but he was still weak from unconsciousness. He dragged her away from the water's edge and searched for the bullet wound. It wasn't hard to find. There was blood everywhere. The bullet had gone straight into her hip, but not all the way through. "Damn," he cursed under his breath. He knew that Slade would be looking for them. He knew that he had to get her to a doctor. Even with her powers, he didn't know if she could take the bullet out. Robin checked the watch that Sara had been wearing. It was dead, probably short-circuited from the water. He had no idea how long Slade had already searched. With difficulty, he took Sara's backpack off and dug around for the map. According to it, Cody was only a couple miles from the waterfall. If he hurried, he could save her.

He took Sara's cape off her back and wrapped it around her waist. With both of them soaking wet, any type of bandage wouldn't be very effective, but it was better than nothing. Now, how to get her there? His strength was still sapped from the fall and unconsciousness. There weren't really strong enough sticks around to make a makeshift stretcher and he wasn't just going to drag her all the way there.

"Are you lost?" A small voice said behind him. He jumped and turned around to find a little girl, maybe six or seven.

He said nothing. The little girl smiled sweetly at him.

"It's okay. My house is not far from here." Then she looked around him at Oriole. "Is she alright?"

"No, she's hurt. It's pretty bad. Is there a doctor nearby?"

The girl nodded. "My daddy. You're Robin aren't you? I've heard about you on the news. They said you disappeared."

"Well you can help me change that. Could you show me the quickest way to your village?"

"Yeah, sure. Come on, follow me." She started heading towards a small patch of brambles. Robin was going to object, but then she pushed them aside and a narrow path was revealed.

Robin tried to lift Oriole, but again his strength failed him. He wrapped her arm around his shoulders, place a hand around her waist, making sure it was above the bullet wound, and supported her that way as he walked.

When the girl let the bramble bush go back to normal, she slipped past Robin and skipped up the path. "My name is Rosie. And I already know that you're Robin but who is she?"

"Uh, this is Oriole. She's kind of new."

"What happened?"

"Um… a bad guy was chasing us. He hurt her." He tried to keep the details to a minimum. He didn't want to give the poor kid nightmares.

"Will she be okay?"

"I hope so."

She was silent for another ten minutes, which Robin was thankful for.

Then, she asked, "How did you get here?"

"The bad guy took us away from Jump City, that's where I live, and brought us here."

"He doesn't sound very nice." Rosie commented.

Robin chuckled. "No, no he's not." There was a small pause, but then Robin asked, "Rosie, do you know what time it is?"

"No-"

"Rosa!" A man's voice called.

"That's my daddy! I'll be right back." She raced up the path and disappeared around a turn.

Robin picked up the pace as best as he could, but supporting Oriole wasn't easy. He stopped and lowered her to the ground. He picked her up, arms under her neck and knees.

A Latino man came around the corner, Rosie nowhere in sight. The man stopped in front of him. "My name is Dr. Roberto Sanchez. My daughter tells me that this woman is injured, is that correct?" Despite the clear Spanish accent, he spoke English remarkably well.

Robin nodded. "Oriole was shot in the hip. She hasn't woken up yet."

The doctor studied Robin's face for a moment, then looked down at Oriole. He took one of her wrists gently and checked his watch. "Well she's still alive. That's amazing in itself. Come with me."

Robin followed Dr. Sanchez to a small cabin, looking like something from the pioneer days. Rosie was sitting on the steps with a middle-aged woman. She was picking burs out of Rosie's clothes.

"I will take her inside."

"No, I'm alright."

The doctor shrugged. "Very well. This way."

Dr. Sanchez led Robin past the living room to a spacious room with three hospital beds in the back. Some hospital equipment sat on a rolling cart in the far corner. He lowered Oriole into the bed and untied her cape from around her waist.

The woman, Sanchez's wife probably, took Robin back into the living room and had him sit.

"Are you alright? You're soaking wet." the nurse asked. She had honey brown hair and hazel eyes. She checked him over and found a long scratch along his arm that he hadn't even noticed. "Oh, that looks bad. Wait here. We'll get you patched up."

"I said I'm fine! Just help Oriole!"

She gave him a sympathetic look. "She couldn't be in better hands right now. But Dr. Sanchez sent me to make sure you're alright. My name is Rebecca by the way. What's yours?" She knew, of course, but she was trying to be friendly.

Robin looked down at her hand, then his eyes slid to her face. He took Rebecca's hand and shook it. "Robin. Nice to meet you."

She smiled. "How did you come to be here, Robin?

"We were kidnapped by a man named Slade."

Rebecca Sanchez

9:21 pm

The Sanchez Residence

As Rebecca listened to Robin's description of the assassin, Slade, she could see fear etched into every line in his face. Vaguely, she could make out a black eye behind his mask. She knew he would never let Rebecca remove it to tend to his eye, so she left well enough alone. Hopefully Robin would be back home soon enough.

When the boy finished, he asked, "When will Oriole be out of surgery?"

"Right now, actually." Dr. Sanchez exited the hospital room and closed the door behind him.

Robin turned to the good doctor and asked anxiously, "And?"

"Relax, my young friend, she'll be fine. She should be waking up in a couple hours. She's in a very fragile state. I'll need to keep her here over night at the very least."

"You don't understand. Oriole has healing abilities. She'll be able to heal herself fully as soon as she wakes up."

"Robin, Oriole is now my patient. You handed her to me for me to watch over. She has lost much blood. She'll need medical attention, with or without these "abilities"."

"Dr. Sanchez-"

"Please, Robin, call me Roberto."

"Roberto, then, our being here will only cause trouble. There's a mercenary hunting us. He's one of the best. If we stay much longer, he'll find us and kill your family. Your daughter is at stake!"

"Do you mean to disrespect my hospitality, Robin?" Roberto asked in a tight voice.

Rebecca smiled. This is what always made other travelers spend the night. "Rosie, come on, we don't need to hear the men argue."

"I didn't mean to-" Robin protested but Roberto kept talking.

"You are my guest and your friend is my patient. If you wish to leave fine, but Oriole is staying here overnight at the least. And as for this Slade character, a good host keeps his guests safe from harm. I cannot send you back out there with good conscience."

Rebecca closed the door behind her daughter and the sound of the two men was muffled. "Mommy? Why does Robin want to leave? Doesn't he like us?"

Rebecca sat on the bench with her daughter on her lap."Of course he does, honey. He's been away from his family for a very long time. He's just scared."

"Of the bad man?"

"Yes, honey. Of the bad man."

"I'm not all bad." A deep, silky voice chided.

The woman stood, clutching her daughter to her chest. There was a man named Slade after her guests. That much she knew. Robin told her that he had a black and orange mask. If it was Slade, he wouldn't be hard to spot in the trees, even in the dark.

"Who's there?"

"Why ask a question when you already know the answer?" Slade stepped out from behind a tree. Rebecca backed up and was about to call for help, but then-

"Leave them alone!" Robin rammed into Slade's side, a metal staff gleaming in his hands. Roberto came out of the house behind Rebecca and ushered her inside, a shotgun in his hands. She hated it when he used that thing, but said nothing and took Rosie inside to hide.

"You're in over your head Robin."

"No, he is not." Roberto's deep voice boomed.

A hand touched Rebecca's shoulder. She jumped and spun around, only to see Oriole, gauze wrapped around her middle. Oriole pressed a finger to her lips and took hold of Rosie's hand, motioning for Rebecca to follow.

She led them out the back door and into the woods. "Keep close." The girl whispered. Though she knew Oriole and Robin were young, just now she was struck by how young. Oriole couldn't have been older than eighteen.

"Why are you still whispering? Slade's on the other side of the house-"

"Fighting Robin, I know. That doesn't mean he doesn't have backup. Slade would be an idiot if he didn't bring his bots."

"His what-"

Just then, a black and orange costumed figure leaped out of the trees and hurled itself at Oriole. Rosie screamed and ran to her mother, hiding her face in Rebecca's jeans. Amazingly, Oriole changed into a wolf and ripped the things head off with her sharp fangs, revealing wires and circuits sparking beneath the black and orange façade. A robot. And Oriole said there may be more of them.

The wolf whimpered, staggering, and she changed back into Oriole. The teen's legs crumpled beneath her as she held her side, fresh blood staining the gauze. She must have torn her stitches while she was fighting. Rosie ran to her. "Oriole? Are you alright?"

A faint smile touched her lips. "As soon as the pain goes away." The older girl tried to get to her feet, but stumbled. Finally she managed to get up and said to Rebecca, "We have to keep moving."

"Oriole!" All heads turned to see Roberto stumbling towards them in the moonlit forest. "Robin has been taken by the mercenary Slade!" Roberto fell unconscious under the shade of the trees behind them. Blood stained his shirt. A knife hilt stuck out of his back.

**Author's Note:** Haha, I love this chapter. I don't know what it is about the Sanchez's but Rosie is just awesome. Roberto, no! So, Robin is back with Slade and Roberto may be dying. What will happen to them? Will they finally get out of this mess? And will Slade follow through in his plan to kill Bruce? Tune in next week to find out! Oh, and btw, I have play practice this week and there's school and chores and all that good stuff so I don't know when I'll be able to get chapter 22 (still amazes me that I got this far) finished, edited and posted. Everyone, please bear with me. And please review! It really does brighten my day and with the prison we call school back I'll need all the sunshine I can get. Thank you all and have a great rest of the week!


	23. Chapter 22: Can We Go Now?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Teen Titans! I promise!

**Author's Note: **Hey people! How's it goin'? I bet you all really hate me after that last chapter. You just get to meet Dr. Sanchez and just like that I kill him. I'm so terrible. Oh well, it had to happen. So, what will Sara do now? Go after Robin or warn Batman of Slade's plan? Decisions, decisions. Enjoy! Oh, and I'm actually on time this week everyone! I'm so proud of myself. Okay, anyway, I present Chapter 22 of Oriole!

Oriole

Chapter 22: Can We Go Now?

Oriole

11:11 pm

Sanchez Residence

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Oriole, please, you have apologized enough. I am alright."

Oriole stood in the small living room with Dr. Roberto Sanchez and his wife, Rebecca. After she'd healed Roberto, she'd fallen unconscious. Though weak, Roberto carried her back into the house. Now, Oriole was wide awake and afraid. Robin was gone, taken by Slade. And it was only a matter of time before he came after her too.

"This shouldn't have happened. It's my fault."

"You shouldn't talk that way to yourself. It was our decision to take you in, Oriole. If anything, we're sorry Robin was taken." Rebecca truly did look sorry. Oriole looked from husband to wife and wondered why all people couldn't be kind like they were to her.

Her look of misery deepened. "That's my fault too. It's my fault he found us. I shouldn't have been so careless." She sighed. "I have to ask too much of you two…again. I'm sorry I even have to ask."

"Nonsense. Ask away, my friend." Roberto pressed.

"I need to get to a phone. And since you don't have one…"

"You need to go to Cody?" The doctor asked.

"Yeah. But I need a car. I swear I'll pay for it as soon as I can. Or someone could drive me to the city limits."

"I will." Roberto answered immediately. "I need more medical supplies after your visit anyway."

Oriole allowed herself a small smile. "Thank you. I can't thank either of you enough."

"Oriole? I'm sorry I'm bringing this up, but what will happen to Robin?"

"I'll have to bust him out, I suppose. It won't be exactly easy, but it's nothing I can't handle." She said, trying to mask her doubt.

"Alright. Good luck. And thank you for protecting Rosie and me."

"We started the trouble. It's only right that I help. But you're welcome."

"Oriole, we should get going."

"Yeah, we should. Goodbye, Rebecca. Thank you, for everything."

"Anytime. Good luck."

"Thanks."

"I will grab my wallet and we can be on our way. Oh, and your backpack is in the kitchen Oriole."

*an hour and a half later*

The city's lights were warm and welcoming, drawing Oriole to them. Her heart leaped with joy at the sight of civilization. Though she'd been raised as a country gal, she became a city girl over time. It didn't feel like home unless she was surrounded by streets, buildings, sounds of the city.

"Roberto, if there is any way I could trouble you-"

He laughed. "Don't start with that again, Oriole. What do you need me to do?"

"Is there any way you could shop for some clothes for me? I don't care what they look like or if they even fit, I just don't want to walk into a store as Oriole. That would be like having "Oriole is in Cody" in big flashing neon lights."

Roberto chuckled, "No problema, senorita. I will be right back."

The doctor got out of the truck and walked into a store called The Village Shoppe. As soon as Roberto disappeared from sight, Oriole felt a nervous anxiety close in around her. She felt so alone…and afraid. What if Slade finding her and dragged her back to that hell hole? And Robin…her heart ached to think of him going through all of that alone. It took all of her will not to just turn the car around and go to him now. The only reason she didn't was that the others had to be warned. He wouldn't stop at Batman. Oh no. That'd be too easy. Hell, he would go after the entire League if she didn't warn them in time.

Every sound around her made her jump. A cat knocking over a garbage can, a slammed car door, the ringing of the bell hanging over The Village Shoppe's front door, all of these made her heart skip a beat in the fear that Slade found her. Oriole hid herself in the shadows of the car and watched as bystanders passed, going towards the back of the car: three teens, two girls and a guy. Her eyes followed them and wistfully wished she could wander around Cody like that, not having to worry about Slade.

Just then, the driver seat door opened, Oriole squeaked and jumped, hiding her head under her cape. A low laugh rang out, a man laughing at her. Oriole looked up to see Roberto, a shopping bag in hand. "Calmate, senorita. It is only me."

Oriole let out a sigh of relief. "Oh good, I thought you might be Slade." Roberto shook his head and handed her the shopping bag. "Thanks. What did you get me?"

"Just a souvenir shirt and a pair of jeans. You look about the same size as mi amor, Rebecca, so they should fit you."

"Thank you for everything Roberto. I have to get going if I'm going to warn my friends. They'll need all the help they can get. I'll visit you again sometime, hopefully under better circumstances."

The good doctor smiled. "I know Rosa would love that. You did not say goodbye when you left you know."

Oriole laughed. "Yeah, she'll be mad at me. Tell her goodbye for me please. And Rebecca. I can't thank you enough, Roberto.."

"Oriole, I hope you find Robin. I am sorry this happened to you."

She shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant, like she was used to this sort of thing. "It'll be better when Robin and I are back home." She took Roberto's hand and shook it, "This isn't goodbye. I'll see you later

Oriole opened the door and heard a quiet, "Good luck," from Roberto. She smiled and walked into the night.

Robin

10:30 pm

Location Unknown

Wyoming

Robin opened his eyes to darkness. He remembered Slade and trying to protect Roberto and his family and Oriole, still hurt. And then a blow to the head. Then, everything around him bounced and his head slammed against a metal ceiling. He felt around the small space, hardly big enough for him to stretch out and it was hard to do with handcuffs chafing his wrists, and found that he was in a car trunk. His first instinct was to pound on the trunk door and call for help but then decided that may not be the best idea. He might be able to get away if Slade thought he was unconscious.

So Robin did his best to not grunt or move around too much when there were bumps in the road. It wasn't easy, but finally he was rewarded with the car stopping. Robin closed his eyes, even though his mask hid any evidence that they were open, and let his body go limp. The trunk opened and metallic arms lifted him up and threw him unceremoniously to the ground. He slammed hard onto the ground and sat up, spluttering. Slade stood nearby, leaning against the car, and watched as Robin got to his feet and dusted himself off, with difficulty due to the handcuffs.

"Good morning." Slade said without much interest.

"Where are we?" Immediately, Robin regretted asking just by the look in Slade's eye.

"First, did you really think you could just run away and never look back? You're not that stupid. Perhaps Sara was just getting sick of me, or she didn't want to embrace what she truly is."

"Of course we tried to get away! I'll keep trying to get away from you for the rest of my life if I have to! And you're not reverting Sara back to who she was. She's been through hell and back and I will not just stand by and let you hurt her again!"

At first, the two men just glared at each other, waiting for the other to make a move. Then, oddly enough, Slade laughed. "You sound just like Sara. She said the exact same thing the other day. Only it was about you coming with us hunting next time. When we find Sara again, we'll start your training."

"No. Not in a million years."

Slade stalked towards him and, finding the violent gleam in Slade's eye, Robin backed away, right into another Sladebot. Slade grabbed Robin's upper arm and yanked him forward. He leaned down to stare the younger man straight in the eye. His voice was a low hiss when he said, "Listen to me very carefully. You are not in charge here. You never have been. The only reason I was remotely lenient with you and Sara was because of her parents. I'm tired of being patient with you two. Am I understood?"

For a while, Robin said nothing. He had two options: one, he could be a good boy and say, "Yes sir," or he could try to get away. Neither were very appealing. If he said yes, Slade would go to Cody and start looking for Sara. If he tried to get away, the Sladebots would catch him and Slade probably wouldn't let Robin go with him to Cody. If he went with Slade, he might be able to give Sara a distraction. And, knowing Sara, she'd be looking for him. Hell she might just go back willingly so she could find Robin. Robin sighed and mumbled, "Yes sir."

Slade rose to his full height and pulled Robin over to the car. Two Sladebots took over and pushed him into the middle seat, sitting on either side of him when they got in. Slade got into the driver's seat and another Sladebot sat next to him. Twisting around, Robin counted the cars with their little posse and multiplied the number by six. 41. There were at least 41 Sladebots, including the five in his car. Even at her best, Sara couldn't take down that many alone. And with Slade's new abilities…she didn't stand a chance.

_What have we gotten ourselves into?_

Roberto Sanchez

3:46 am

Sanchez Residence

Roberto pulled the car into his garage. He was finally home, finally done with all the madness of the previous day. Yes, he chose to help them and he didn't regret it, but it was good to have a normal life again. His encounter with Robin and Oriole opened his eyes to just how much the superheroes of the world were sacrificing. They all seemed invincible but he just treated the Oriole. True she healed faster than he anticipated but she could have died without his help. And as for the boy, he was so scared for her when he arrived, so worried. And by Rebecca's observation, they were no older than eighteen.

The doctor stepped inside his house and hung his coat on the coat hook and pulled his shoes off his sore feet. He would just take in the medicine tomorrow, when he was less tired. He found Rebecca still awake in her bathrobe, sitting on the couch watching Spanish soap operas. She smiled at him when he walked in the living room. "Bienvenido a casa." Welcome home, she said in Spanish.

"It is good to be home." Roberto replied in English.

"You know, I think these shows are really helping my Spanish."

Roberto laughed and kissed his wife on her forehead. "Yes they are, mi amor."

"I love you too."

The old man sat down next to Rebecca on the soft couch, her body shifting to make them both more comfortable and resting her head on his shoulder. "Do you think they will be okay, Rebeca?" Roberto asked, saying Rebecca's name in Spanish.

"Of course they will. They're superheroes after all."

"I suppose you are right."

"Don't worry about them, honey. They'll be fine. I'm more worried about us." Rebecca squeezed Roberto's hand in fear.

"Why do you say that?"

"That man came here before. Who's to say he won't come back?"

"Oriole did not think he would. She thought he would be more likely to follow her to Cody."

"I hope she's right."

Before Roberto could reply, there was a knock on the door. The couple jumped, both afraid it was Slade. Rosie walked out of her bedroom, teddy bear in one hand, the other rubbing her eye. "Mama? Daddy? Who's here?"

"Shh, Rosie. Come here." Rebecca pulled her daughter into her arms and kissed her on the cheek. "Roberto?"

Roberto went to the door and picked up his shotgun. "Who is it?" He cracked open the door, then yanked it all the way open, aiming the gun at the figure's chest.

"It's me! It's Robin!"

The light hit the figure's face and indeed it was Robin, eyes wide and hands up in surrender. "Robin, you are alright. Please, come in, come in." Roberto set the gun down on a bench near the door and ushered the younger man in.

"Robin! You're back! Daddy said the bad guy got you." Rosie wrapped her arms around Robin's leg in a hug, excitement on her small face.

Robin froze at the sight of her. Something wasn't right. "Rosie…" he looked up at Roberto. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…"

"We would really like to know where Oriole is." Roberto felt the barrel of a gun against his neck. He turned around slowly and saw Slade standing in the doorway, a gun in his hands.

"Mama!" Rosie ran back into the living room to her mother and hid behind her legs.

"We do not want trouble. We were only helping travelers."

"Relax. I won't kill you for that. But if you don't tell me where Oriole is, well…I may not be so forgiving."

"We do not know where she went. She left after the fight. We thought she was going after Robin." Roberto didn't want to reveal her location. She wouldn't just leave, not without Robin. He didn't have to know her for very long to see that.

Slade's eye became a slit. Before Roberto could react, Slade grabbed his arm and twisted it behind him. The stain on his shoulder hurt like hell and he cried out in pain. "Roberto!" Rebecca whimpered and held Rosie closer to her body.

He could see Robin's reaction out of the corner of his eye. Sorrow. Grief. Fear. "Slade, he's just trying to help her. Don't…don't hurt him."

"I can see that, Robin. And I'll deal with you later about speaking out against me." Slade growled. Robin's face paled. Roberto got the impression that they weren't just going to talk about it. Slade turned his attention back to Roberto. "Let's try that again. Where is she? I know you brought her to Cody but where did you drop her off?"

"Roberto, please just tell him. It'll be okay." Robin added, giving him a reassuring smile. He didn't feel reassured though. He felt pity for both Robin and Oriole. If Slade found her in Cody, there would be no more escapes. Slade would make sure of that.

He sighed. "The Village Shoppe, a small store in downtown Cody. I don't know where she went from there."

"That's better." Slade let him go and Robin went to stand beside him, misery clear on his face. Slade turned to the door but stopped and said over his shoulder, "Oh, and doctor? If you somehow warn Oriole ahead of time, I'll be back. And next time I'll shoot first and skip the questions." Just like that, they were gone.

**Author's Note: ** I bet you all thought I was going to kill Roberto…again. Nope. Slade's not that evil. Just a little psycho. So, we're off to Cody, Wyoming where there will be yet another attempt at capturing Oriole. I'll let you guys decide what that means. Review please and tune in next week for Chapter 23: Cody.


	24. Chapter 23: Preparations

**Disclaimer: **Awesome! I own Teen Titans now! …sadly that was a total lie….sadly.

**Author's Note: **Finally, we're in Cody! The whole reason this is taking place in Wyoming is because I wanted to do someplace that I knew, so I could describe the scenery and stuff, but not a place I that I know too well like my hometown or some such nonsense. If Slade wanted to go off radar, my hometown actually would be a good place, but up by Cody in Wyoming is even better. I took a vacation there in the summer, so I know the layout pretty well. I just wish I could've typed these chapters while I was up there. Ah well, se la vie. Enjoy!

Oriole

Chapter 23: Preparations

Oriole

9:30 am

Holiday Inn

Cody, Wyoming

Sara lay back on the bed in her room. She rented the hotel room only for the night, expecting to get the hell out of there by tomorrow. Her alarm clock went off a half hour ago but she didn't have anything to do until ten. Except hide. And hope and pray to God that Slade couldn't find her. Cody was a small city, but it was big enough to try to blend in with the crowd. She sighed and rolled over to her side, thinking about how to contact the others…and how to rescue Robin.

The local news channel droned on in the background.

"Earlier last night there were reports of a car crash near Buffalo Bill Dam. Officials are not sure how this happened, but the driver has yet to be found."

_"I can't just call them; Slade will be expecting that and have their phone tapped. And I don't have a laptop to video chat with them. I could try to call Bruce but Slade knows how we are; he'll be expecting that too. And I can't just leave, not with Robin captured. I got him into this mess in the first place."_

As if on cue, one of their conversations in the car flashed before her eyes.

_"I want you to promise me something. If Slade finds us-"_

_ "He won't find us! We have a twenty minute head start at least." Sara reassured him, even though she was scared too. But Slade would stay away if he knew what was good for him. _

_ "But if he does," Robin insisted, "if only one of us can get away, can we both agree to contact the others first?"_

_ She didn't have to ask who the others were. "Ro, if you get caught by Slade, I'm coming back for you."_

_ "Sara, who's more at risk? Me or Bruce?"_

_ Sara said nothing. He was right. She knew that. But leaving him with Slade alone…that just felt cruel._

_ "See? I promise I'll do the same. If nothing else we can call for help as soon as we get service."_

_ "I'm not so sure that's a good idea. Slade will be expecting that won't he?"_

_ "Then we'll find a way. But if I can't make it back, I want you to promise you'll warn Bruce and the Titans."_

_ Sara sighed. Just because he was right didn't mean she had to like it. "Fine. I promise."_

Sara groaned and pinned a pillow to her face. "Damn it Ro, why did you have to make me promise?" She mumbled into the pillow. Not wanting to think about her predicament, she listened to the reporter talk about her perfectly normal town and their perfectly normal lives.

"-home of Dr. Roberto Sanchez, a man that treats patients just outside of Buffalo Bill Dam. Apparently his home was ransacked last night by a mercenary named Slade." Sara bolted up right, fumbled with the remote a little, then turned the volume up. "While details are still unknown, Slade was looking for two superheroes, Robin and Oriole, that he kidnapped from their current residence in Jump City, California. While escaping, the newer member of the Bat Team, Oriole, was wounded while trying to escape. It is said that Oriole is now somewhere in Cody, looking to find a way home. Dr. Sanchez had this to say."

The image switched to Roberto, stress marks between his eyebrows, still with his distinct Spanish accent. "I only urge people this: help those two. They have done more for our country than most adults. It is our honor and our duty as the people they protect to assist them in any way possible. I stand by what I did for them. If you are watching this, Oriole, he came here for information. He knows you are in Cody. If you are still here, you have to run. You can't fight him; you can't hide from a demon. Slade will find you. Just go while you still can."

She turned the TV off when the newswoman came back on. Roberto's words disturbed her. _"Slade will find you."_ The white telephone on the desk stared at her. She chewed on her lower lip. Could she really risk calling them? Did it matter if Slade did find her? What if she wasn't there when Slade's computers did pick the conversation up? Maybe she could just run, find a way out of the city, let the Titans rescue Robin…_No, I'm not a coward. I'll find a way out of this…I have to._

Making her decision, Sara ran out of the room, grabbing her card key, carefully leaving one of her shoes in the doorway and signed herself out at the front desk. When she got back to the room, she packed her bag, hiding her utility belt under her jeans and deposited her emergency credit card in her back pocket. All that was left was to call.

First she opened the window, planning to get out through there, tied her shoes good and tight, slung her bag on her shoulders and took a deep breath to steady herself. _"Please let someone be awake."_ She bit her bottom lip and dialed the number.

Starfire

8:42 am Pacific Time

Titans Tower

Jump City, California

Starfire sat next to Raven as the guys made waffles and eggs (tofu for Beast Boy, which started the boys' usually argument). As the two boys fought over what did and didn't taste good, Starfire played with her fork while sucking down some mustard through a straw. Robin had been gone without contact for three weeks and now she slipped in and out of depression easily these days. Raven was reading her latest book next to her, apparently oblivious to the world. She sighed and looked up at Batman.

The Caped Crusader was standing by the windows, watching the sun rise like Robin always used to when he was thinking about something important. Though neither of them would admit it, they had many similarities. Starfire wondered, as she usually did around Batman, what had caused them to argue. According to Beast Boy, Robin and Batman didn't even have to talk during a fight they were so in sync. So why the arguing? Robin never talked about his childhood with her, but he always loved to hear about hers. Which brought her right back to how much she missed him.

Just then, the Titan's hotline rang. Beast Boy, covered with flour and tofu eggs, jumped up and yelled, "I got it!" He picked up the phone and said, "Hello, Titans Tower, Beast Boy speaking. How may we save you?"

Cyborg slapped his forehead. Starfire had been on Earth for nearly three years and she still did not understand why humans did that. Raven rolled her eyes at Beast Boy's joke. Even Starfire had to admit, Beast Boy could be most odd at time. As the young Titans listened, his eyes widened. "Okay, hang on, I'm putting you on speaker." He pressed the speaker phone button and said, "Okay, you're on. Everyone's listening."

"Guys, can everyone hear me?"

That voice…it even caught Batman's attention. "Oriole?"

"Batman! You're the too, good. Okay, I called to tell you that Slade's after you, B! He's planning to kill you!"

Starfire was speechless. Oriole? Was Robin there too? Were they coming home? Or was this just Oriole's desperate attempt of trying to save Batman? …Why didn't Robin call instead of Oriole? It was a selfish thought, but wouldn't he want to talk to his team…to Starfire?

"Cody, Wyoming. Robin's still with Slade." What? Then why was Oriole even calling? Why wasn't she going after him instead? She couldn't leave Robin alone with Slade; he'd already been Slade's apprentice before. Starfire couldn't stand for him to be stuck in that place again. "I'm gonna try to break him out but if I can't, you'll find Slade's cabin outside of Buffalo Bill Dam, forty or fifty miles east. Get here as soon as you can, no matter what happens…I'll need some help. I have to go; staying on the phone to long might attract unwanted attention. I'm heading out right now. Stay safe everyone."

Starfire stopped her. She knew Oriole would be fine, but this was more for Robin's sake that Oriole's. "Oriole?"

"Yeah?"

"Be careful."

"Always am. And same back to you. Good luck." Oriole hung up.

Cyborg spoke immediately. "We should get going. Everyone get in the T-ship."

Batman interrupted. "Wait. We need to be sure of their position before we go in blind. We could zero in on their position using the JLA's satellite system."

"No, we should go now, before it is too late. Oriole and Robin need our help. We must assist." Star said stubbornly. No one was going to stop her from going after Robin. He'd been gone for three weeks now. He needed to come home.

After an awkward silence of Batman and Starfire staring each other down, Cyborg ordered, "Titans, GO!"

Robin

9:50 am, Mountain Time Zone

Cody, Wyoming

Robin sat in the back of the big van Slade drove, which was really a surveillance van. Slade knew that Sara would try to contact someone. After all, she didn't have a car and it's not like she could rent one in Cody. Bordering towns didn't have a rental car lot either. So Slade monitored Cody's telephones, and then, Sara's voice came on over the speakers.

_"I have to go; staying on the phone too long might attract unwanted attention. Stay safe everyone."_

Slade muted the rest of it and triangulated her phone call. She was staying in a Holiday Inn in Cody. _Damn it Sara, you shouldn't have used the phones!_

"Slade…couldn't you just let her go?" When Slade turned to him, Robin looked away and hurriedly added, "Please."

The mercenary stared at him, surprised. "Robin, you do realize how much time I have put into reeducating Sara don't you?"

"Since she was four, yeah I know. Don't you realize how much of a stalker you sound like?" Robin returned. This was not the time to be starting a fight, but if it distracted Slade to give Sara time to leave the hotel, then he didn't much care.

Slade acted as if he hadn't said anything and asked, "I don't suppose you want to come with?"

"You're right; I don't. But you're gonna drag me along with as bait anyway, so what's the point in arguing?" Robin knew Oriole would fall for it too, if given the chance. Which was why stalling was so important.

Slade turned and ordered the Sladebot to drive to the Holiday Inn and the van pulled away from the curb. He said nothing to Robin after that though, as if he hadn't said anything. Every turn the van took was a step closer to Sara. Robin tried again to stall him.

"What's so special about her? Why do you care so much? Because trust me on this, she'll keep trying to kill you. She hates you."

"For her parents? Is that how you feel about Zucco?" Slade returned icily. Robin flinched at the name and looked away. And he could've sworn that Slade actually smirked. "I thought you might say that. You're afraid of him aren't you? That's exactly how Sara feels. I'm like the Boogeyman to her." He finished with a laugh in his voice.

Robin shuddered that he would actually find that amusing. Creep. "You actually want her to fear you? And you wonder why I call you a psychopath."

"Watch your language, young man. You're already in enough trouble. I was answering your question. If that bothers you, you shouldn't have asked."

Robin rolled his eyes and looked out the window. And what he saw almost made him cry out in joy. Sara walked on the sidewalk in street clothes, trying to blend in with the crowd. Then the weirdest thing happened. Their eyes met and Robin could've sworn she was trying to tell him something. And of course, she was.

"_You might want to hang on to something, Ro. This is gonna be a big boom."_

_ Sara? What boom? What are you…?"_

_ "Nevermind that now. Just hang on to something and get ready to run."_

Unsure of what Sara had in mind, Robin grabbed onto the seat behind him. It wasn't very sturdy, but it would do. And then the world exploded.

**Author's Note:** Well that's not a cliff hanger. Ha, I'm just kidding. So what on Earth could he mean by the world exploded? Is it metaphorical, is it realistic, is it a hyperbole? You decide. Oh, and there's a poll up on my page for what I should do next. I wanna know what you guys think. Thanks for reading everyone, please review, and I'll see you next week!


	25. Chapter 24: Here Comes the Cavalry!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Teen Titans. But I would love to. Oh God how I would love to.

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! I can't believe I actually got this chapter done on time. It was MEA this week and my grandmother wanted to take me to her friend's cabin. I just finished it Sunday night, so I hope you all enjoy this.

Oriole

Chapter 24: Here Comes the Cavalry

Robin

10:12 am

Cody, Wyoming

It was a beautiful morning in Cody. The birds chirped, the people went to work in usual, and a car only exploded. Absolutely normal right?_ What in hell was she thinking? She doesn't have a mask on and she just openly used her powers like that? Is she nuts?_

The car lay on its side…or what was left of it. Beside him, Slade began to stir and his eye opened. If this didn't work, they would be in So. Much. Trouble. The back door of the van glowed red hot, and then it peeled back by itself, revealing Sara, finally wearing her mask. His seatbelt snapped off him and the handcuffs fell to the floor, all Sara's doing. She reached a hand out to him. "Come on, let's go!"

Robin took her hand and Sara dragged him out of the car wreck. A jolt of pain shot up his spine, probably because of whiplash. "Thanks for the early warning." He said sarcastically.

She didn't hear him, or wasn't listening…or she just didn't care. Either way, she went to the cab of the van to make sure that Sladebot wouldn't give them any trouble. Robin stayed behind to keep an eye on Slade. But he couldn't help but stare at the destruction and hear the people's shocked whisperings and gasps.

If he'd thought it was bad on the inside, the outside was even worse. Molten metal actually dripped onto the asphalt and there was a huge hole where Sara's fire hit the car. The cab was completely destroyed, as was the Sladebot driving. If Slade had been driving, she could have killed him.

"Come on, we can't stand around all day looking at it! Run!"

She ran in the opposite direction of where the car had been going. Robin followed her, passing citizens and tourists with cameras, people actually taking pictures of them. After a few yards they turned down into an alley. She hid behind a garbage can and motioned for Robin to do the same. Robin shot her a questioning look, but she didn't reply. Sara waited, her muscles tense. Then Robin heard the mutterings rise in volume and footsteps coming closer. Slade stopped in the entrance of the alley, his tall body casting a shadow in the alley's center. Robin ducked down further behind his garbage can.

Just when Robin thought Slade would just walk right by, Sara tripped and fell out. But she thought fast and when she appeared in front of Slade, she was a small black kitten with dirty paws. And either she hadn't eaten for ages or she was manipulating her appearance to make her look skinnier. Slade paused and stared at her. Sara let out a frightened little mew, acting the role of a shy alley cat perfectly, and dove into the knocked over trash. Slade hesitated for a few more seconds, then, thankfully, walked away coolly. Robin let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"Coast is clear." Robin whispered. There was movement in the garbage can, and then a flash, but still no sign of her. "Sara? Where are you?"

"Up here," She called down to him. Sara was already on the rooftops. "What are you waiting for, the grass to grow?"

"How did you get up there?"

"The garbage cans, duh!"

Robin raised an eyebrow.

"Alright I turned into a bird and flew up but you can climb up here with the painter's ladder."

"What painter's ladder?" Sara disappeared on the rooftops, leaving Robin stranded. "Sara!" He whispered as loud as he could. She returned and dropped a painter's ladder at the opposite side of the alley. "Oh…that ladder."

Sara vanished again as Robin scrambled up. But just as his hand reached for the top rung, a bolo entangled his legs. He tried to keep his balance but stumbled and fell with a thud. When his head hit the ground, stars popped in front of his eyes. Before he could shake them away, a Sladebot locked handcuffs around his wrists and led him to the car, with its prisoner too dizzy to fight back.

When he finally snapped out of it, he was locked in another van with no way out. So close to freedom, so close…and he lost it again. He pounded his fists on the windows, but stopped when he saw Sara on the roof. Her hand aimed at the car and a fireball formed at the tips of her fingers, but that wasn't what worried Robin. Slade crept up behind her, a white cloth in his hands. It was too small to gag her with, so Robin bet that it was infused with chloroform. "Sara, behind you!" He screamed at her, knowing it was futile. There was no way Sara would hear him when he was behind glass Slade won. The heroes lost.

What, you didn't really think it's always like the movies, where the heroes always win? That's why it's called a movie and not reality. Robin learned that over the years. After all, if the heroes always won, there wouldn't be so many Joker gas victims, or frozen statues from Mr. Fries' havoc…and Sara's parents wouldn't be dead, nor would Robin's. It was just the way of the world. But that didn't mean they would give up. No, not in a million years would he ever stop trying to get away from Slade. Even in the beginning they knew this was a long shot, that this escape plan had so many holes in it, like what to do when they finally arrived in Cody, or how to get away if Slade showed up. But they had to try, because there was still a chance. Still a hope they'd succeed. And they failed. Sara wouldn't be able to escape unless…

Sara turned at the last second and snapped out a kick at Slade's stomach. Slade fell to his knees and she ran, trying to get away. It was useless. Slade caught up with her and wrapped his arm around her throat. He pressed the cloth to her mouth. She didn't stand a chance. Because of her healing abilities, anesthesia effects didn't last long. A two hour dose would only last thirty minutes. But that was plenty of time to capture her. Finally, Oriole's struggles lessened and collapsed against Slade's arms. Slade scooped her up and carried her down. That's it. Escape plan was a no-go. Slade: 2, Heroes: 0.

Oriole

11:12 am

Location Unknown

Oriole stirred. She yawned and tried to reach her mouth to cover it, but something stopped it. Opening her eyes, she saw handcuffs around her wrists and secured to the hand rail above her. She strained against the cuffs, heating her hands to melt the metal, when she heard, "Don't." Sara turned to see Robin in a similar situation. "It's no use."

Their eyes met and she saw his fear…his defeat. He'd given up. He was so hopeless. It began to infect her. But no, there had to be a way out, right? There was still a chance. She was about to voice this, but then she felt something. Heard someone's thoughts. …Starfire? BB? Raven? Cyborg? They were close. Very close. Oriole sighed with relief. Here comes the cavalry. Suddenly, the car came to a screeching halt and Slade put it into park. Quickly reading his intentions, she knew she had to help, to get out, do something!

The T-Ship came into view and Starfire flew out of the cockpit. Slade stepped out of the vehicle and took a few steps away from the car. He raised his arm and a bolt of lightning flew at the Tamarianian. "Starfire!" Robin yelled.

Sara's eyes flashed and an emerald green shield appeared around her, protecting her. But the full force of the electricity sapped the energy from Sara's body, as she knew it would. She couldn't just leave Starfire to face Slade's powers alone. She owed so much to all of them, she couldn't just sit by and watch. Left weakened and trapped in a car, Sara tried desperately to melt the handcuffs or break the chains. Slade turned back towards the car and stalked toward them. She shot him a bold look that said, "I'm not afraid of you anymore."

"Sara..." Robin warned.

"I see him, thanks." She replied shortly. Nails sharpened into claws and finally she ripped the chains apart, freed at last. But Robin still needed to get out, and Slade was just outside her door. The handcuffs still dangling around her wrists made it increasingly difficult. She simply didn't have time. Just then, a sonic burst rammed into Slade's side and shoved him away from the car. Starfire landed on Robin's side and ripped the door off.

Star broke the handcuffs and asked, "Robin, you are uninjured, yes?"

Beaming, Robin leaped out of the car and said, "Better, now that you're here."

Sara got out behind Robin. She saw Slade's outstretched arm, his eye glowing a bright copper. "I hate to interrupt but, hit the deck!" Everyone ducked and another shield blocked yet another lightning strike. Slade's eye blazed with fury. As he turned to the T-Ship, Sara screeched, "No!" And she hurled herself at the mercenary, knocking both of them to the ground. The impact jarred her, but she had to fend him off. She got them in this mess. It was her job to clean it up. Starfire took Robin's hands in her own and flew up to the ship, towing Robin behind her.

"Oriole!" Robin called.

Oriole looked up, changed into an oriole and took off into the sky after them, Slade growing smaller on the ground with each beat of her small wings. Finally, for the first time in weeks, she was truly free.

**Author's Note: **Aww, I have that warm feeling inside. Haha, seriously though, this chapter is finally when they escape! 24 chapters of having to deal with Slade and we're finally done with him! Or are we...? Haha, I'm just kidding. I'm kind of hyper tonight. And I know this chapter was kind of short but it was a short amount of time that this all took place and I really wanted to end here. The fuzzy, cheesy reunions are next week's chapter. I hope you enjoyed! And stay with me, we're almost done! …Or are we? Muahaha! Oh, and get ready for the Halloween special next week! I was hoping to be further along with this, but se la vie. I'll just have to write like mad! I should be able to get to the special on Sunday if I post two chapters…oh boy. That's a lot of work. Well, I gotta go. See you next week!


	26. Chapter 25:Sappy Reunions Home at Last

**Disclaimer:** Do I really have to keep repeating myself? I do not own Teen Titans!

**Author's Note:** There, see? I told you I'd get it done. And I even got two chapters done early! Am I good or what? So, this is just an intro to the special which is really next chapter. Or is it? MUAHAHAHAHA! Continue reading, if you dare! …Yeah, I still got some Halloween spirit in me. It's possessing me!

Oriole

Chapter 25: Sappy Reunions (or Home At Last)

Robin

11:30 am

The T-Ship

They'd stopped out in the middle of the desert, partially because Beast Boy had to go to the bathroom, but mostly because the team hadn't been together in two weeks. They wanted to see each other again. After a group hug, one that even Raven joined in on, the others asked the Gothamites what happened, how they got away, why Sara sold them to Slade, etc. Finally, Oriole burst out of the group of dark questions and exclaimed, "You guys rock you know that!" Oriole grinned ear-to-ear.

Starfire couldn't stop smiling. She gave both Robin and Oriole bone-crushing hugs.

"Star, kinda hard to breath," Oriole wheezed.

Starfire set them down and interlocked her hand with Robin's. Oh how he'd missed the feel of her hands in his, her voice, her smile, everything about her was just ripped away from him for two whole weeks. And now they were back together. Boy did it feel good. Starfire looked at Oriole and said, "We would not have trusted you, Oriole, if not for Batman discovering the truth." …What? Did she just saying Batman was there? "He found that video you made for him, telling why you did what you did. And I am sorry for not-"

"Batman was at the Tower?" Robin intervened.

Starfire cut off and stared at him. "Is this not good news?"

Oriole and Robin exchanged looks. Robin sighed. This was exactly what he'd been trying to avoid. Before he'd thought that the trip home would take forever, but now he wished that were the case.

When everyone settled back into the T-Ship, Oriole sat in the back of Robin's compartment, since his pod was the biggest and she trusted him the most. But nevertheless, she stood every once in a while and looked anxiously out the windshield. After awhile, Robin got sick of it. "Sara!" She jumped and looked at him. His eyes softened. "Relax. Nothing's gonna happen."

She sighed and turned her eyes back to the skies. Then she murmured, "You don't know that."

"Yeah I do. Slade won't risk following us. He didn't last time. Besides, pursuing isn't exactly his MO."

"That was last time." She stated firmly, ignoring his last sentence. "Things change. And I don't think he'll pass up an opportunity to come after us again."

"So we won't give him one."

"You make it sound so simple." Sara muttered darkly.

Dick didn't reply. He knew there was no point when she got like this, that much he knew. What he didn't know was why Sara would convince herself that there was a danger that wasn't really there?

"Because I learned that if you're not ready for what's coming, you're dead." Sara replied. When Robin cast her an accusing look she added, "It's not like I have anything better to do."

Robin rolled his eyes. "You're such a child."

"Look who's talking." She snapped. With a sigh, she continued, "I'm sorry, okay? It's just…Slade scares me. Like, really scares me. His abilities…he's only had them for three months at the most. He's not supposed to be so advanced. So…controlled. I remember when I first got my powers, when I turned eight, I burned my uncle's hair just by walking past him. Now, I can control it better but Slade is in total control! He even made it seem like he was using a different element than his!"

"What is his element anyway?"

"Electricity."

"Then how did he start a fire under your shoes?"

"Simple, he sparked the carpet so that it would light. But that's what I mean! For the longest time, I thought he was a pyro too and that he was just weaker than I was and that's how I beat him, but now this happens and I just don't get it!"

"Maybe it's just because you were a little kid and he's an adult. You worry too much."

"Says the worrywart himself. You're not listening to me! It doesn't matter how old you are! My grandmother's powers surfaced when she was nineteen and she lost control."

"Maybe he's just different or something, I don't know what. But I'm serious, you have to relax. If you don't it'll haunt you like nothing ever has, believe me."

Sara considered him briefly, sighed and sat back down behind him. "Are we almost there?"

Dick smiled. "Look out the window."

Titan's Tower was already in view and even Sara couldn't help but smile. Until they saw Batman on the roof, waiting for them.

"Well this should be fun." Sara retorted sarcastically.

"I'm sure it'll be fine."

Sara looked over at him. "Since when are you so optimistic around B?"

Robin said nothing as the T-ship landed on the roof. Sara got out first, opening the hatch even before it landed. She flipped up and out of the airship and landed right in front of Batman. "Hey, B. Miss me?"

Bruce glared down at her, arms folded across his chest, his mouth curled into a scowl. "You had a call while you were out." The way he said it gave Robin a hint about exactly who it was.

Oriole arched an eyebrow. "Who would call here for me…" Then the light bulb flashed, "Slade? He called? When did he have time?"

She kept on rambling and cursing under her breath as she hurried down the stairs to the main floor and into the lobby area. When Robin and the others arrived, she was already loading a video chat link. "Sara, what are you doing?" Robin demanded.

She looked back at him and smiled mischievously. "Well we missed a call. It would be rude not to call back."

"Are you crazy? We don't owe him anything."

Flashing another smile, she turned back to the screen.

The screen turned black, but in another second, Slade's face and a black background greeted them. "Hello Titans. I'm surprised you're calling."

"That was me actually. The others don't exactly approve. But I wanted to let you know that if you ever try anything like that again, so help me God, I will tear your heart out with my bare hands. We're not coming back. Even if you get down on your knees and beg, we will not, repeat not, go back to you. No way in hell." Her voice sounded so sinister, it sent a shiver down Robin's spine.

Slade's response was even creepier. "Oh, I think you will. Once you find out what I have planned for-" Again the screen went black. Sara's finger pressed down on the delete button. Her face was a mask of fury.

"Seriously? He doesn't have anything on us! Why would he think we would ever-?" She winced and raised a hand to her head.

"Sara?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. Just a headache."

Robin seriously doubted that. With Sara, she rarely had "just a headache." "Here, come sit down."

"Ro, I'm fine, really-" Again she grimaced and held her head in her hands. The Tower's lights flickered off, like it was a power outage.

"Oriole? Are you injured?" Starfire asked.

Oriole sat down in the spot Robin motioned to before. "Yeah, I'll be okay. Like I said, it's just a headache."

Robin crossed his arms across his chest. Just a headache? Seriously? That's the best she could come up with? "Then why did the power go out?"

"How should I know? Payed the electric bills lately?"

"Sara, if something's up…"

"Nothing's wrong! I swear. Scout's honor. It really is just a headache this time." But, to contradict this, another grimace and another electrical blackout. Only this time, it didn't stop there. The lights stayed out this time, and Sara's eyes glowed green like she was using her powers and her body froze. The same horrified expression remained on her face.

"Sara? Sara, what's going on?" Robin asked, waving his hands in front of her face.

"Sara!" Bruce boomed, trying to get her attention.

It worked…sort of. She snapped out of it all of a sudden, gasping one word, "Slade."

That's when the screams slashed through the air, and Sara started to get worse.

**Author's Note: ** Worse you say? How? Hm… worse how? Let's go to chapter 26 to find out. Which, hey! It's already posted. Go to part 2 of the Halloween special at your own peril!


	27. Chapter 26: The Void

**Disclaimer:** You know what? I'm not even going to put a disclaimer here. Cause I'm a rebel…but just in case it's not clear, DC comics and the creators of the show own Teen Titans.

**Author's Note: ** Part 2 of the Halloween Special will continue after you scroll down!

Oriole

Chapter 26: The Void

Raven

12:12 pm

Titans Tower

Jump City, California

Raven encased Oriole in an energy shield, both for Oriole's protection and everyone else's. Whatever was happening to her was causing her body to lash out with waves of bright blue flames, the hottest kind. The heated air whipped around them like a tornado, picking up papers from Robin's notes and other debris scattered around the spacious room. Starfire long hair whipped around her like it had a mind of its own and Raven came back down to the ground to keep from being swept away. She also created a protective barrier to defend them from the incoming debris.

"What's going on?" Robin yelled over the roaring wind.

"It's Sara's powers." Batman responded, only raising his voice as much as he had to.

"How? She is injured. How could she be doing all this?" Starfire wondered.

"It's a defense mechanism. Sara told me about this a long time ago."

"Then how do we stop it?" Cyborg asked.

Batman was silent for a moment. Then he turned to Raven. "Let me get closer to her." That's all he said before pulling his cape around his face to protect himself from the flying papers and dust. Raven created a hole in the shield, holding it open just long enough for the Caped Crusader to step out into the chaos.

The wind ripped at his cape and his clothes, trying to pull him away from the ground. But Batman kept his feet solidly on ground. Finally he reached the dome Raven kept Sara locked in. She opened it up briefly and closed it behind him. It was hard to see, but he grabbed some part of her neck, and suddenly the roaring wind halted, papers and dust floated back to the ground and Oriole collapsed into Batman's arms. Raven dissipated the shields and sat down to rest her aching head. That took a lot of energy.

The Titans crowded around Oriole and Batman but Raven hung back, trying to communicate with Oriole's subconscious. But oddly, it was as if she didn't have one. Batman stood, Oriole still in his arms and Robin lead him to the hospital room next to the main atrium.

After she was hooked up to the heart monitor, and satisfied that her body was stable, Raven searched again for Oriole's mind. Still nothing. She opened her eyes and shook her head at the anxiously waiting Robin. The other three Titans stood together in a huddled group.

"What happened to her?"

"And why did she mention Slade?"

"I do not understand. How could Slade be doing this?"

Good question. How was he doing this?

Oriole

Time Unknown

Location Unknown

Sara opened her eyes to nothingness. It was just black and empty. She could hear voices, murmurs really, of her friends. BB, Cyborg, Star, B, Ro, all of them talking about something urgent, if their voices were any inclination. Raven as usual was silent. She looked around, searching for a light, a sign, anything signifying everything was going to be okay, trying to ward off the panic setting in. But still, it was just darkness. Just a void of absolutely nothing. What was really creepy was that her friend's voices, they were so close. It was like they were right next to her.

"That's because they are, my dear." A familiar yet sadistically creepy voice chided.

A scream echoed in the small space, and it sounded like hers. But when she deliberately tried to do it again, she couldn't. She didn't have a voice. The familiar voice laughed. "Of course you can't talk. This conversation isn't even in an actual place. I like to think of it as a limbo of sorts. A world between worlds, if you will."

_You can hear my thoughts though, right?_

"Of course I can. Where do you think this limbo is? We're in your mind.

_Slade?_ She asked as realization hit her of why that voice sounded so familiar.

"You just figured that out. Now really Sara, I expected more from you."

_That chastising and talking down might work on Robin, but if you keep doing it to me I will punch you so hard your teeth will bleed._

Slade laughed. "You can't even see me. How are you supposed to hit me?"

_I said stop it._

Sudden pain racked her body and made her scream, in both thought and voice. And to her shock, she could hear and feel the scream leave her throat. It was met with an immediate chorus of voices from the Titans.

"Sara!"

"What is wrong with her?"

"What's going on?"

"How is Slade doing this?"

Thankfully, the pain ceased and Sara was left a silently gasping and vulnerable figure in her own head. _How are you doing this? Why are you even here?_

"Why ask questions you already know the answers to?"

_What are you talking about? I don't know why you're here, I don't know how you're doing this. All I do know is that I'm leaving. Now._

"And where do you intend to go. Do you see any way out?"

_Let me out. _

"If you would stop fighting me, perhaps you would already be out."

_Not in a million years._

"I'm giving you a fair warning: continue to resist me and you will experience more pain than you've ever had in your life."

_You don't know pain. Like knowing the guy you trusted your best friend's life to is the same monster that killed your parents, that's painful. _

"Don't be so melodramatic. Oh, and I think someone's talking to you."

And just like that, the voices of the Titans rang in her ears, one louder and clearer than the rest. "Sara? Can you hear me?"

Sara's eyes fluttered open and she saw Robin standing over her, worry creasing his eyebrows. But it disappeared when their eyes met. Robin's relief would be short lived though.

"Ro…Slade's back."

"What?

"Slade…he's in my head. He's…he's trying to possess me." With that, she lost the strength to fight through Slade's attack and fell back into the void.

Slade laughed. "Telling him will only lead him right to me."

Slade's laughter was the last thing she heard.

**Author's Note: ** So did anyone realize I foreshadowed this in the Author's Note of Chapter 25? Anyone? "It's p**ossessing** me." Ha. And by the way: Ding dong, the witch is dead. Which young witch? The Sara witch! You can decide yourself to believe it or not, but you'll just have to tune in next week to find out! MUAHAHAHA! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!


	28. Chapter 27: Halloween Scares

**Disclaimer:** I really do not own Teen Titans. I swear on my mother's grave (even though she's still alive…that's such a weird saying).

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone! Sorry about the wait. This is the first free time I've had since I last posted. I was in the local play "Little Shop of Horrors." I played Ronnette. For those of you who haven't seen the play or the movie, Ronnette is a pretty big part. It was fun. Even though I'm not black and Ronnette is supposed to be. Oh well.

Anyway, I hope this chapter makes up for it. I should warn you that during the school year, I'll probably be pretty irregular with posting chapters but I'm trying my best, I promise. Please forgive me!

Oriole

Chapter 27: Halloween Scares

Robin

12:00 am

Jump City, California

Halloween Morning

Robin leapt over the gap between rooftops. After Sara awoke, Robin, Beast Boy, Cyborg and Batman left to hunt down Slade. The girls stayed behind with her, to comfort her in the event of another mental attack. If Slade was sending out an electrical impulse to touch Sara's mind, as evidence of the blackouts in the Tower, Cyborg's scanners should be able to detect it. Robin and Batman split up to go to the two different locations Slade recently used as his HQ, Robin to the Haunt, Batman to the secret bunker under Wayne Enterprises. Both of them came up with nothing. Beast Boy, meanwhile, changed into a bloodhound and was trying to sniff out Slade. He'd also come up empty handed. The four were heading back to the rendezvous point to figure out their next move.

"Dude!" Beast Boy whined over his com link. "We're totally gonna miss Halloween! And we all have the best costumes!"

Starfire joined in the conversation, though she was back at the Tower, "I do not believe I could have the fun while Oriole is left to do battle with Slade alone."

"Yeah, I know, but still." Beast Boy fell silent.

Secretly, Robin shared Beast Boy's disappointment. Halloween was the only time of the year when they could feel like normal teens. After all, no one took anyone's costumes seriously on Halloween. The Titans could blend right in and no one would be the wiser. But he also agreed with Starfire. They couldn't just pretend like everything was okay when it wasn't.

When the three boys and Batman met up, they all shared the same findings: nothing. "Did we honestly expect to find anything?" Beast Boy remarked. "Slade's always been slippery and now when we need to find him we just expect him to be right in plain sight?"

"It was worth a try. I was hoping Slade's new powers would make him cocky."

"Did Cyborg send an EMP out throughout the whole city?" Sara asked over the intercom.

"Girl, do you have any idea how much energy that would take?"

"Yeah. But that's the only way you could shut off his powers. No electricity=no powers."

"If we could find him, maybe we could send one out but it wouldn't last very long."

"No, probably not. It's the only thing I can think of."

"Sara, you're sure that's the only way to stop him?" Batman asked.

"No, there is one other way. I could try to-" Static cut her off. There was nothing. "Can…hear me? … Slade…" Then the entire city block went black and all communications went dead. Including Cyborg's body. Cyborg collapsed; his systems dead and his reserve power being the only thing keeping him alive.

"Cyborg!"

"He's alright. At least he will be." Robin said.

Batman spoke up. "Slade's nearby. Last time, he couldn't shut Cyborg down."

"Then where is he? In the building or something?"

A scream rang out over the intercom. Robin took it out of his ear, which was deaf for a brief second. "Sara!" Last time, her scream was one of terror. Now? It was one of agony. Whatever Slade was doing, it sounded like he was killing her.

"We need you guys back at the Tower!" Raven shouted.

Robin and Batman took off for the Tower. "Beast Boy, stay with Cyborg until we get back." Robin ordered.

By the time they got back, Sara was unconscious, but stable. Raven explained that she felt Slade going into Sara's mind, cutting off communications briefly until he had full access to her thoughts. Raven tried to help, but Sara's subconscious lashed out at her, like antibodies attacking a virus. Robin noted that Raven looked distinctly paler and Starfire looked equally shaken.

Raven went to go bring Cyborg back to the Tower and Batman began studying Sara's condition. Robin insisted that Starfire go get some rest and she went willingly to her room. Robin stayed with Sara, just in case Slade tried something. He didn't know why he stayed though. Only Raven could really help her and Sara kept pushing her out of her mind. Robin was just a human. He didn't have any powers and it wasn't like he could physical fight Slade when all of this was happening on a psychic level.

Sara stirred and Robin pushed his thoughts away, attempting to hide them from her, though she was probably too weak to try to read his mind anyway. She looked up at him and sat up.

"Hey, Sara. You okay?" He tried to act normal, but all of this was so completely un-normal it wasn't even funny.

She shrugged. "I s'pose. You?"

"Honestly, a little worried."

Giving him a sad little smile, she replied, "And honestly, you worry too much. I told you, Slade's only had his powers for a year. Powers like these take time to grow in strength. I'll always be stronger than him because I've had my powers for longer."

"Then how can he hurt you just by thinking it?"

Sara looked down at her hands. "That's not what's happening. Resisting mind compulsion…well, let's just say it's not pleasant. Yeah, it hurts like hell but Slade won't win. I won't let him." Her hands balled into fists and determination glittered in her eyes.

"Sara, this is insane!"

"So what if it is!" She snapped. "I've been looking for him my entire life. That bastard took my parents away from me. Why can't you understand how much I want him to pay? Your parents were killed too. You can't tell me you don't think of killing Zucco every minute of every day."

"I really don't. I moved on. I put the past behind me. I suggest you do the same thing."

"That's such a load and you know it! My parents are dead. I saw their dead bodies, Ro!"

"You hardly knew your parents!" And immediately, Robin wished he hadn't said anything.

Sara scowled at him, her eyes narrowed to thin slits. "Maybe not, but at least I give a damn about avenging them." Her voice was low and dangerous, and only now did he realize that her eyes were pitch black.

"Sara, your eyes…"

Like a light-switch, her anger turned into worry and she rubbed her eyes with her knuckles. When she opened them again, they were their usual brilliant green. "Better?"

Robin nodded. He sighed, "I'm sorry about what I said. But Sara, you're not talking about justice here. You're talking about revenge."

"It's always been about revenge, Ro. I don't care what it takes, but I'll be damned if I don't kill Slade before I die."

Robin would've replied, but he was interrupted by, "Oriole, you are uninjured, yes?" Starfire stood in the doorway, hands clasped in front of her, sweet and innocent as usual.

"Nothing except my pride. And tell Raven I don't appreciate having to sit in here until you guys find Slade! I hate feeling useless. …No, it's worse than that! I'm the hostage! Ugh!"

"Do not worry. We will find him. Slade cannot avoid us forever."

"And that's not his intention either." Bruce stepped through the doorway behind Starfire. "If what you've told me about Slade is true, this isn't just about Sara. He wants something."

"What could Sara get for him that he couldn't fetch himself? Why her?"

"She's trusted throughout the superhero community." Batman thought about it for a moment. "Well, most of them anyway." True. Some of the other heroes didn't trust her because of her past or because of her powers and lack of control. "I'm sure there's something she could access that Slade couldn't on his own."

"With his electric abilities, he can control any machine. If he's that advanced I mean, which I doubt. Hell, he could take on the whole Watch Tower if he wanted to!"

"Why hasn't he come here yet?"

Sara shrugged. But she didn't know Slade like Robin did. He knew exactly why Slade was doing this. "Flare," he thought aloud. "Slade doesn't do anything subtly. It's just not in his nature. He probably thinks this will give him attention."

_You make me sound like a child, Robin._

Oriole

2:30 am

Jump City, California

Titans Tower

Everyone jumped at the silky voice echoing in the backs of their minds.

"No!" Sara cried out, fear sparking in her eyes. She encased them all in an emerald shield and Slade's voice slowly faded out. "You stay the hell away from them!" She shouted at nothing. Well, nothing but air. But she knew Slade could hear her. She waited in silence with bated breath, hoping her shield was working.

After Sara's outburst, Robin spoke first, "Actually I change my mind. Slade's not doing this for flare. He's taking Sara out of the picture so that she can't defend us anymore."

"Yeah, you're welcome." She grumbled, slowly letting her shield dissipate around her, confident that Slade wouldn't try something like that for awhile. That at least would buy some time.

Robin turned to her. "Then stop! We don't need you to protect us!"

"Speak for yourself, Ro. You, B and Raven are the only ones who might be able to defend yourselves efficiently. The others…not so much." _Not to mention the fact he can overwhelm me. If that's possible, the others won't stand a chance. They can't know that though. They'll be too scared and Robin will be too worried about me. Bruce…he'd probably be the only focused one. But even that might not save him. Slade's already put out a hit on him. _"Besides, even while helping the rest of you, I still have enough energy to fight him off," which was a total lie, especially if Slade got stronger.

Robin studied her, trying to determine if she was lying or not. She didn't flinch. True, she was a terrible liar but if lives were at stake…well, grace under pressure took over. Satisfied, Robin sighed and let it go.

Batman spoke up, "Regardless if Sara can protect us, we need to teach the other Titans how to defend themselves against psychic warfare. Doing so will help Sara more than anything right now, apart from finding Slade."

"I agree." Starfire paused and added, "But I do not believe we should leave Oriole alone." She turned to Oriole and smiled shyly. "I understand that you can protect yourself. But if you are hurting, having friends with you is the best form of medicine."

Sara smiled lightly. "I wouldn't argue with that. Company would be nice. It might distract me from feeling ridiculously useless in this stupid hospital bed! It even smells like a hospital room in here!"

Robin laughed and said, "How about I stay? Batman and Raven can teach the guys about psychic shields and I don't think anyone should miss out."

"Besides, you kinda suck at teaching." Oriole teased.

She guessed that his silence was him rolling his eyes but, with his mental walls carefully guarding his mind and his mask in place, she couldn't be sure.

Bruce left with Starfire and they went off to go gather the Titans and begin psychic lessons immediately. Robin pulled up a chair next to Oriole's bed, facing backwards, and sat down, resting his head on his crossed arms on the back of the chair. Oriole sat in her bed, leaning casually against the head rest.

They just sat like that for awhile, but finally Robin spoke, "You didn't have to defend us, you know."

"What do you mean?"

"No one asked you to protect us from Slade."

"No, of course they didn't. What's your point?"

Robin diverted his eyes. "I just think there's something you're not telling me. I get the feeling that you're avoiding something, but I don't know what."

"So what, protecting my friends without being asked means I'm hiding something? Do you have any idea how paranoid you sound right now?"

Truthfully, her defenses were all lies, and she knew it. Robin was right. She was hiding something, something that could cost everyone their lives and cost Robin his sanity. For after she revealed Slade's dirty little secret, she would buckle under the immense power of Slade's rage and leave everyone vulnerable to manipulation. Robin would fall for Slade's trap to save Sara, and it would all be over. And so she lied.

Robin sighed and admitted, "Okay, maybe I am just being paranoid," but he didn't stop there. That would be too easy. "But if something's up, you need to tell me. You don't have to face Slade by yourself."

Oriole bit back a snappy retort, one along the lines of how he hadn't always been so self-preserving either, and replied instead, "If I can help everyone and still keep him at bay on my own, I will. I won't just stand by while people I care about are hurt because I want to protect myself."

_One of the more…irking traits you have, my dear._ Slade's voice whispered in the back of her mind. Oriole gasped involuntarily and mentally lashed out at his presence, forcing him back further in the no-man's-land between her mind and his.

"Sara, are you okay? Is he here? Is he hurting you?" Robin grabbed her arm and looked at her with worry.

Due to a massive headache, she could hardly process what he was saying, but she could sense his worry for her and she righted herself and sat up straighter, brushing Robin's arm off her shoulder. "I'm fine."

Slade laughed in the recesses of her mind, _You really are a terrible liar, aren't you Sara?_

_Do you seriously not know how to shut up! _

But Robin too saw right through her little masquerade, "Slade's talking to you isn't he? I can see it in your eyes. Don't listen to him!"

"No shit Sherlock." Sara snapped. How Slade was able to break through her mental barriers so easily she couldn't understand. It was like a mouse trying to find the cheese in a maze. Only this mouse was too smart for its own good.

_I'm a mouse now? I am a little insulted._

_Good for you! Now get out of my head!_ She shouted back.

_You don't really think it's that easy, do you? _

_Honestly, no. It was worth a try. _

"Sara!" Robin shouted and snapped his fingers in front of her face.

She snapped out of it and focused back on Robin. "Huh?"

"You spaced out there for a sec. What's he saying?"

"Oh, just commentating our conversation. It's kind of annoying but it's nothing I can't handle. Besides, it's not like he's hurting me or anything. Just gimme a minute."

_You can handle me, can you?_ The unbearable strength of Slade's anger pressed in on her, descending down upon her like a hurricane that never ends. Except this storm didn't have an eye; there was no safe zone. Sara tried to defend herself, but he was so strong she could hardly hold her own against him. _You ungrateful little brat!_ If she thought Slade was strong two seconds ago, this was so much worse.

The Tower's lights flickered on and off. Sara closed her eyes tightly, deep in concentration. When she opened her eyes, she was back in the Void. "NO!" She screamed. To her relief, she could move this time. But it did little to comfort her. "Slade! Dammit Slade, let me out of here!"

She wandered around in the darkness, listening for a voice; any voice that would tell her what was going on. Her throat burned like she was screaming. She probably was, considering the massive headache she had. Then finally, she heard Robin, "Sara! Sara, wake up! C'mon snap out of it!" He paused and shouted, "Raven! What's going on?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Raven replied stoically. "Slade's here. She's trying to keep him from taking over her mind."

"Can't you help?" Robin asked desperately.

_Aw, isn't that sweet? He's desperate to save you._ Slade cooed. _Let's try this then._

"What are you-" Pain lanced up her back, the world going black...well, darker than before. She screamed, both in mind and vocally.

"Sara!"

Not two seconds passed before Raven was standing there beside her, looking a little disconcerted. "Raven! What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help. Where's Slade?"

"I don't know. If I did he'd be sorry. Really sorry."

"You said you could fight him off. You lied. Big time."

"How about you save me and then kill me, huh Raven? I have a headache the size of Canada."

_I'd hate to interrupt, but I'm afraid dear Raven doesn't belong here._ Just like that, she was gone, shoved out of her mind.

"Hey, she belongs in my head more than you do!" Oriole snapped. "Come out and fight you coward!"

And there he was, his eye a slit. "Very well."

Oriole charged with a yell and leaped in the air to land a kick to his side. Slade dodged it with speed that should've been impossible for a human. Lightning speed. "That's it!" She yelled before getting tackled to the ground by Slade.

Would this never end?

**Author's Note: **I don't know about you guys, but Slade is seriously starting to scare me. Like…really starting to scare me. What I have planned…man oh man, it's creepy. And I'm leaving it at that. Thanks for sticking with me. Hopefully I'll see you next Sunday! Stay excellent and have a great day!


	29. Chapter 28: Hopes and Optimism

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Teen Titans.

**Author's Note:** So, recap of what happened last chapter: Oriole's been protecting everyone from Slade's influence. When the others found out, they decided to learn from Raven, Batman and Robin how to free their minds if Slade ever gained entrance. Then Slade attacked Oriole's mind and Raven rushed to her aide only to be pushed out of her mind by Slade. Shortly after, Sara discovered many hidden secrets in the depths of Slade's mind, including a way to stop him.

So what is Slade planning? Well, read on to find out.

Oriole

Chapter 28: Hope and Optimism

Oriole

6:30 am

Halloween Morning

Jump City, California

Titans Tower

Oriole opened her eyes and sat up. She was back in the hospital room in Titans Tower. The Void was long gone, thank God. That place felt like a claustrophobia attack.

"You can handle yourself, huh?"

She jumped and yelped in alarm at the voice and whipped her head around with neck-aching speed, only to see Robin in his chair, arms folded across his chest. She sighed with relief and placed a hand over her hammering heart. "Oh, it's just you."

"'I can handle myself, Ro.' 'You worry too much, Ro.' Sound like anyone you know?" He snapped, mimicking her voice.

Sara sighed. "And I was telling the truth. You do worry too much, Ro."

"Not based off of what I saw or what Raven told me!"

Oriole pinched the bridge of her nose. "What did she tell you?"

"Pretty much everything. How you were so eager to have Raven's help even though you specifically said you didn't need help, that you could help yourself! What the hell were you thinking?"

She opened her mouth to respond, but Batman walked in the door after a loud knock. As usual, he got straight to the point. "You know what Slade's after, don't you?"

"Of course I do! I wouldn't be much of a mind reader if I didn't."

"Then what is he after? We'll be able to guard it better if we-"

"No. You won't want to guard it when I tell you."

"Sara-" Batman began, but he was cut off.

"You're supposed to be able to trust us! Whatever happened to being brother and sister in everything but blood?"

"Dick…" Bruce warned.

"We are, but-"

"Then you should trust me!"

"Robin!" The Dark Knight barked. Robin closed his mouth and looked up at Bruce. "I want to talk to her alone. Go."

Robin scowled at him. He hated being treated like a child. But then he sighed and said, "Fine. But you get a minute. You might have trained me Bruce, but this is my place. Don't try to give me orders."

With that, Robin turned and stomped out of the room. Oriole watched him go with concern flashing in her green eyes. When the door slid shut, she said, "After everything that's happened, you two haven't gotten any better?"

"That's not important right now, Sara." Bruce muttered, pulling his cowl down off his head and sitting down in Robin's abandoned chair.

"It's important to me." She argued.

"Sara," he growled. Sara's jaws closed with a gentle click. "Robin can be headstrong at times and unfocused. Right now, he's not accepting that Slade's defeating you. He's panicking and it's keeping him from thinking clearly. He can't see that you're just as worried as he is. From the way you defend yourself against Slade's attacks, I think I know what Slade's after, but I need to know for sure."

"Like I said to Ro, he won't want to protect it once he finds out what it is."

"Slade's target is Robin, isn't it?"

Sara gaped. "How did you…? Nevermind, it doesn't matter. Look, just don't tell Dick alright? You know what he'd do."

Bruce shrugged. Then he leaned forward, looking serious again, "I understand that you want to protect him, but there's nothing you can do. Martyrdom isn't the way to go."

"You always put others first. That's what I'm doing. And I know that's what Di would do too if given the chance. Like you said, he's too stubborn for his own good and if he's not careful that'll get him killed. I appreciate your concern, Bruce, but I don't need you to patronize me. I already know I don't have to do this. But I want to. With Slade's new powers, he could squash Robin like a bug underfoot. Slade knows that. It's why I'm protecting everyone from his influence."

"Sara, you don't know the specifics yet. Maybe Slade's just trying to confuse you and convert you back to your old self. Dick told me about Slade teaching you how to hunt."

Sara looked away. He didn't know anything. This wasn't about Sara at all. The only reason he was hurting Sara was because he wanted vengeance for making him look like a fool back in Cody, and partially because Sara was the easiest target, but she pushed that thought aside. "Maybe…but I don't think so."She amended. More determined than ever, she added, "And I'm not gonna stop helping the others."

"That wasn't my goal." Bruce stood and left the teen alone with her thoughts.

Robin

8:00 am

Titans Tower

Jump City, California

By the time he was done with setting up the security with Cyborg and helping Raven teach Beast Boy how to put up a defensive barrier around his mind, he found Oriole sleeping in her cot, a look of peace gracing her gentle face. He wasn't mad at her, not really, and he wasn't confused about why she was doing all this. If he were in her shoes, he would be doing the exact same things. But it still bothered him that she wouldn't entrust him with the identity of Slade's target. Whatever it was, it must have either been dangerous to the city or precious to Sara. He decided it must be something dangerous, for there was no single item that Sara would want to protect so fiercely. He considered it might be a person, someone on the team maybe, but he pushed that theory aside when he remembered that she too called it an "it."

In any case, he wished he knew what Slade was trying to accomplish here. There were few things Sara could obtain that Slade could not. And besides that, if he wanted to use Sara to steal something, why would he rage war against her mind in plain view of the Titans? They would know the instant she lost control (a thought that made Robin shudder) and be able to protect whatever it was Slade was after. Maybe he was just holding her hostage. But then he came back to the same question: why Sara?

As Robin contemplated this Raven walked in the room and sat on the edge of Sara's cot, opposite Robin. She looked exhausted. Then again, next to no sleep and almost two hours straight of teaching her peers the basics of mental barriers might have something to do about that.

"Well, that's all I have in me today. They don't know how to fully shut someone out of their conscious (that would take years) but they do know what to do if their minds are invaded."

"Nice work Raven. How about you go get some sleep? You look terrible."

Raven nodded. "I don't feel so hot either, but I wanted to talk to you first."

"Okay, what about?"

"Could we talk in private?" She asked, her eyes flicking to Sara's sleeping figure.

"Raven, she's asleep."

"This is about her, so I don't want to talk here. Besides, we might wake her up."

Robin sighed and got to his feet. Raven led him out of the door, through the commons area, and into a hallway opposite the hospital wing. "Alright, now what is this all about?"

"Did you talk to Oriole about how dangerous it is to let Slade near her mind? Has she attacked his mind back yet?"

"Of course I talked to her about it Raven! She won't listen to me. She keeps insisting she has to protect the rest of us, including you, me and Batman, even though all of us can defend ourselves. I know this is dangerous and I tried to tell Oriole that but she just won't listen! It's like I'm not even talking someone."

Raven nodded. "Okay, I understand."

"What do you understand? This isn't okay! She-"

"She's doing exactly what you would be in her situation and you know it."

Robin tried to think of something to say back, but Raven was right. He sighed, "Then how would you get me to come to my senses?"

"It would be impossible. And Oriole's as stubborn as you are, if not more so. The only way we can help her is to find Slade."

"Easier said than done. We've already looked everywhere in the city and Sara said that he might not even be in the city. She said that his range could extend for a few miles to a few hundred! He could be in another state for all we know!"

"He's in the city. Haven't you noticed that every time he invades her mind there's always a power outage? You said he controls electricity right? If he were further away, he would draw power from the nearest power source."

"Yeah, okay, so he's in the city. I don't know where else to look!"

As if on cue, the lights flickered and died, as did the hum of the super computer in the other room. A scream echoed throughout the Tower, but this time it wasn't Sara's. "Starfire!" Robin cried out and ran to go find her. There was only one explanation for what was going on. Slade was in the Tower. Sara met up with him and they ran together towards the source of Starfire's scream. They found her unconscious next to her room's door.

Robin scooped her up in his arms and carried her to her bed. He lay her down gently and brushed a stray red hair from her beautiful face. When he stepped back outside, Raven, Beast Boy and Batman were racing towards them.

"What happened?" Bruce demanded.

"What do you think?" Sara snapped. A loud boom echoed behind them. Robin turned towards it and Sara cautiously began walking towards it. He followed, hoping that he was wrong, hoping that whatever happened to Star was just a freak accident, hoping Slade wasn't here.

But all of that hope was shattered when Slade appeared right in front of Sara. She gasped and before she could react, Slade grabbed her arms and threw her at the opposite wall. Robin charged at Slade but met an energy shield like Sara's, only this one was the same copper orange as Slade's suit. Slade's eye turned that same color copper and Sara held her head. Electricity crackled in the air around Slade as he tried to force his will on Sara's mind.

Robin pounded his fists on the shield, trying to distract Slade just for a moment. Then he remembered what Raven said about counterattacking Slade. Sara said she hadn't tried that yet. "Sara! Fight him! Try to attack him!"

_I'll try._ Sara thought to him. She slowly got to her feet as fire spread across her fingertips. Fireballs hurtled toward Slade and smoke rose up to cover what happened. Robin and Beast Boy cheered, but then the smoke cleared and scorch marks, where Sara's fire had actually hit, marred the wall next to him.

"Nice try, my dear, but you can't hope to fight me. Optimism will get you nowhere."

"Neither will arrogance." She chucked another couple fireballs at him, but he deflected them with a small bolt of electricity and retaliated by striking her with lightning. Unlike Slade, she couldn't deflect it. She groaned and fell to her knees.

Beast Boy and Raven joined in Robin's attempts to break the shield. Robin didn't know what Batman was doing but he didn't stop to ask. He took out his bo-staff and hit the shield with it. From what he knew about Sara's shields was that a certain amount of force could break it open. But this one seemed impregnable. Just then, a crack formed on its surface and Robin redoubled his efforts. But a black-gloved hand grabbed him and shielded him with Batman's cape. He heard an explosion and Slade grunt as his shield blasted open.

Batman stood and ran at Slade, ready to kick some ass. Sara got to her feet and landed a kick to Slade's head.

"Nice try, Slade, but you'll never break me!"

Slade chuckled. "Not with help around I suppose."

Batman punched Slade's back but Slade took it like a champ, turned around and kneed Bruce in the stomach. Robin jumped over Batman's doubled over form and kicked Slade's chest. He took Sara's hand and led her away from Slade. She followed without complaint. Cyborg turned the corner then.

"Cyborg, get Oriole out of here!"

"No, I can still help!" She ripped her hand out of Robin's grip and, to his surprise, went into Starfire's room instead of towards the fight raging down the hall. Robin poked his head in and saw her healing Starfire.

Satisfied she would be in there for a while, Robin stepped back out and raced back to the fight. But then Slade forced everyone back with another shield. "Well this has been fun, but I have other places I need to be right now."

"Like what? No one's hired you in ages." Sara walked calmly towards Slade, smirking.

Slade chuckled. "It appears you've been in my mind far longer than I thought. But did you tell them everything you discovered while you were snooping around?" When Sara's smirk turned to a frown, Slade added, "I didn't think so." His eye gilded over with copper and with a flash of brilliant light, he was gone.

All eyes turned to Oriole, but no one spoke. Sara hardly seemed to notice them. She turned on her heel and walked back down the hall. Robin caught her arm. "Sara, what was he talking about?"

"It's nothing."

"Obviously it's not. What aren't you telling us?"

"I said it's nothing!" She pushed him away, turned into a wolf and padded away.

What was she hiding? What could be so terrible to scare Sara into aggressive submission? More importantly, why was Slade after her?

**Author's Note: **So, Slade can now just pop in to the Tower whenever he likes and he's after Robin. Again. Slade's stubbornness issues are really starting to tick me off. What is Sara hiding? And yes, there's more besides the fact that Slade's target is Robin and besides everything she told Batman. Why? Because it's more fun this way! Thanks for sticking with me so long guys! We're almost done. It's kind of sad to me but I want to know what your reactions are, so please REVIEW! And have a great week! See you next Sunday!


	30. Chapter 29: Wishing on Stars

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Teen Titans!

**Author's Note:** I'm sorry for the delay everyone, but you might notice that this one is longer than the rest. Why? Because it's awesome! The team finally figure out a way to track Slade…well they hope it'll track him. Keep reading to find out!

Oriole

Chapter 29: Wishing on Stars

Robin

4:30 pm

Titans Tower

Jump City, California

Halloween Day

Robin stared out the common room windows. He watched little kids in costumes running around town, laughing, having fun, as their parents rushed to keep up with them. He spotted many kids his age in costumes going to a party. He remembered Halloween night in Gotham. Sara would always complain that they should be joining in; Dick would make a smart remark about the fact that she's too old to go trick-or-treating, then Bruce would step in and remind them of how most criminals loved Halloween.

Once though, when they were with Clark Kent, they went to a costume party. That year was Clark's best costume ever. Clark, to Sara and Dick's amusement, dressed up as Batman. While they busted up laughing, everyone else in the pavilion looked around, wondering what was so funny to make two fifteen-year-olds laugh so hard they were crying. Robin smiled at the memory. One of their only normal Halloween's. He thought this year might be different. The Titans went to a costume party every year and with Sara over, they could all go together. She would've enjoyed that. But thanks to Slade, that was a fantasy.

Just like a few years ago, when Raven put them through that, uh, "interactive horror movie,"  
>Halloween was a nightmare. Especially to Sara. After Slade disappeared, Sara decided to take a nap, as she hadn't gotten much sleep last night. But she awoke an hour later. Robin asked why, but she brushed it off and said it was just another nightmare. When Robin asked Raven, she told him that Slade created a scenario of deaths for Sara to watch. She told him that it was supposed to put her out of focus and make it easier on Slade to gain control. He walked as calmly as he possibly could and told Sara what Raven said to him. Again she tried to act like it was nothing but, while he spoke of it, he watched the color drain from her cheeks.<p>

Finally, after about a half hour trying to convince her to talk about it, she told him everything. When Raven said, "a scenario of deaths," Robin didn't fully digest her meaning. But he heard the true aspect of Sara's nightmares in her voice. She told him that the one person that didn't die was him, Robin. Sara didn't seem too happy about it. Then she continued and Robin understood why. In her dream, Robin became Slade's apprentice and he was the mysterious person running around and killing everyone he cared about.

He remembered exactly what she said after that.

"_I kept trying to wake up, 'cause I knew it was a dream, but something was keeping me there. It was like I was stuck. And I couldn't control anything that happened either! There were these two paths: one was a dark alley and the other was an open street. I wanted to go towards the street, because only those blondes in horror movies are stupid enough to go to a dark alley, but I started walking toward it. That's when I saw you. You were just standing there. I ran to you, still thinking you were on my side, but then I saw the uniform and…" she gulped. "And you were standing over Starfire's body." She shuddered but tried to continue. _

_He tried to finish what she was trying to say. "And then…I…I killed you?"_

_She shook her head and Robin felt relieved, up until she continued with her story, "Then I ran. I ran as fast as I could away from you and tried to find someone that could help, but the city was a ghost town. You finally caught up with me at Titans Tower….That's when you killed me. Bullets. Two to the heart, one to the head. It's standard protocol for most mercenaries. It's like a signature. Don't you get it? Slade was showing me what he wants."_

With grim satisfaction, he finally knew what Slade was after. Robin…again. He didn't even care about Sara's powers anymore. After all, he had powers of his own now. That and he probably knew that Sara wouldn't ever stop trying to get revenge for her parents' deaths. But after all that happened…well, one thing was for sure, Slade's a very stubborn man.

A hand on his shoulder made him flinch, but when he looked it was Starfire, a look of concern on her face. "Robin, you are well, yes?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine. It's Sara I'm worried about."

"You mean Oriole?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I meant Oriole."

"How is she?"

"Not good. She won't admit it, but she's scared. Terrified. And worse, Slade's starting to get to her."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean he's getting through to her. She's losing hope and there's not a damned thing anyone can do about it. We don't even know where Slade is, let alone how to stop him."

"Perhaps if we hid Oriole somewhere safe-"

"It wouldn't work. We don't know what Slade's range is. He might be able to reach her from the other side of the world for all we know. If I thought it would help, I would've hid her ages ago. Why can't I help her, Star?"

"Robin, do not blame yourself. You are doing everything you can to help her. Some problems cannot be fixed overnight."

He snorted. "If only it could, huh?"

Starfire took his hand and squeezed. He squeezed back and smiled, glad she was there by his side.

"Yo Robin, come check this out." Cyborg called for the computer console.

Robin and Starfire exchanged glances and walked over to the half-robot teen. On screen was a monitor of Sara's condition: blood pressure, neurokinetics, mental activity, heart rate, the whole shebang. "What did you find?" Robin asked, staring at the charts incomprehensibly.

"Well I wanted to see what exactly is going on whenever Oriole, and by extension Slade, uses her powers."

Mildly interested, he nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. "And?"

Excited, Cyborg continued, "I had Oriole use her mind reading and fire powers and I found a new chemical and electrical signature coming from her body. It radiated from her like heat from the sun."

"Get to the point." All heads turned to Batman, who walked in the room from the front door.

Cyborg diverted his eyes and stood up a little straighter. Bruce had that kind of effect on people. "It's traceable. And I'm willing to bet that if we searched for that chemical signature whenever Slade's using his powers, we could find him."

"How do you know reaction only happens when they use their powers?"

"Easy, I tested Oriole for the signature while she wasn't using them and found that it didn't show up."

"But how will we know when Slade decides to ?" Robin asked.

Cyborg's expression darkened. "That's kinda the dampener on this whole discovery. To triangulate Slade's position, I would need about a half hour. Oriole and I were playing around with ideas, and finally I came up with one but…I don't want to have to try it."

"We're running out of options. I don't think we have a choice anymore."

Cyborg sighed. "We'd have to wait until Slade tries to possess Oriole."

"But that can last from thirty minutes to five. How would you make sure it's enough time?"

"That's what you won't like. Oriole would have to stall long enough for us to pinpoint his location."

"No. Absolutely not! Sara's already risking enough for us! Every time Slade's involved, she suffers for it. I'm not going to let you put her in danger on purpose!"

"Except it's not really your decision, Ro." Sara stood in the doorway of the hospital room, and boy did she look like hell. Her clothes hugged her body, clinging to her because of her sweat; her hair was missing its usual luster, bags under her eyes. And this was only after a single night of living this nightmare. She strode in the room with her head held high, not seeming to notice how terrible she looked. Sara stopped right in front of Robin and glared at him. "I knew you wouldn't want me to do this, so I decided that it's not up to you. It's my life that's at stake not yours. So don't even try to guilt trip me with this. If it's the only way to find Slade it'll help me in the long run. I'm willing to sacrifice this. That's why Cyborg's been setting it up and then he told you. We both knew you would never agree."

"What if I don't agree?" Bruce spoke up.

Sara whipped her head around, staring in shock at him. Really though, she shouldn't have been surprised. Bruce looked down at her, narrowing his eyes as if daring her to object. "I'm...I'm sorry, what?"

"I am your legal guardian, Sara. If I don't agree with you risking your life, you don't have a choice but to listen."

Sara laughed. "Kids disobey their parents all the time. Why am I any different?"

"This is your life we're talking about, Sara."

"I risk my life every day! It kinda comes with the uniform and cape."

"This is too dangerous."

"Try having Joker kidnap you and force you into his twisted head. Now that's dangerous."

Robin shuddered at the memory. Originally it was Harley's idea. Joker hooked Sara up to a machine that forced her to use her abilities and read his thoughts, ultimately trapping him in his own mind. The idea was to keep her in his head long enough to make her insane and unleash her on Gotham. If Robin and Batman hadn't shown up in time…he couldn't bear to think about it.

"Be serious."

"I am being serious! I've been through worse than fighting Slade out of my head. If you could find him the old fashioned way there wouldn't be a need for all this, and he has to be somewhere quiet so that he can concentrate. He wouldn't want to be too far away, otherwise it's harder for him. Since you can't find him, I'm taking matters into my own hands. If you don't like it, there's the door." She turned to Cyborg. "Is everything set up Cy?"

Cyborg nodded. "Everything's ready."

"Good. I don't think it'll be too long before he tries something again." With that, she turned on her heel and walked to the hospital room. But before she could get there, a barely contained scream rang out in the corridor, but this time the electronics stayed on. Even with the immense pain Sara must have been feeling, she managed to say, "Cyborg, start it up now!"

Robin ran to her side. "Sara!"

Cyborg

5:15 pm

Jump City

Titans Tower

"Cyborg, hurry up!" Robin yelled.

Sweat poured down Cyborg's face as Oriole screamed again. Being a hero, he should have been used to pressure while working, but this just took it to a whole new level. And all the computer said was, "Searching. . ."

He looked back at the thrashing figure in Robin's arms. Her hands were curled into fists and every time her arm moved, she caught one of the many people surrounding her in the face. Batman tried to hold her arms down, but every time he did, she screamed, told him to get away, and tried to throw him off.

Cyborg looked back to the computer console. "No signal," it read on the monitor. Nothing was detected. Slade's abilities worked on a different frequency and with a different chemical signature than Oriole's. All of this was for nothing.

"Tell her she can stop!" Cyborg called.

"Sara, listen to me! You can stop now! Let it go!"

Her eyes opened to reveal coal black irises. "I can't!" Just like that, her breathing cut off and her throat strained against an unseen force as it tried to find air. Oriole's body shook and the heart monitor started going crazy.

"Cyborg, report! What's going on?" Robin yelled, worry coloring his voice.

Cyborg went back to the computers, but nothing explained what was going on. Then he looked at her brain activity and neural kinetics. What could cause them both to spike of the charts? "I think Slade's using his electricity powers to control Oriole's bioelectricity."

"In English?" Beast Boy said, looking confused as usual.

"He's forcing her body to attack itself, like a cancer."

"Is there nothing we can do for her?" Starfire asked.

"None of us except Raven. She might be able to block Slade's powers with a shield, but it still might not be enough."

"No! Don't! Raven…don't!" Oriole managed to say. Cyborg looked back at her heart monitor. Slade was forcing her heart into cardiac arrest.

Robin and Cyborg exchanged looks and Robin shouted, "Raven, do it! Do it now!"

Raven encased the small group huddled around Oriole in an energy shield. Lightning crackled in the air around in the dome.

"Warned…you…" Oriole whispered.

Starfire was hurled at the edge of the shield by a lightning bolt to her chest. Beast Boy turned into an electric eel so that he wouldn't get hit, but he only produced more electricity. Batman draped his cape over Oriole and himself, Robin doing the same for himself. Raven cut the flow of magic and the shield dissipated.

When Batman pulled back the cape, Oriole was unconscious but alive. But barely.

Oriole

3:00 am

Jump City

Titans Tower

Oriole sat up in the hospital bed and slowly lowered her feet down to the cold tiled floor. She sneaked past Robin quietly, so as to not wake him, and crept out to the commons area. Padding into the kitchen on quiet feet, she grabbed a glass from the cupboard and turned on the sink. After sweating so much that day, a good drink of water really felt good.

"I need to know if you can handle this."

Sara squeaked and dropped her glass, the pointy-eared shadow saving it from breaking against the linoleum. She placed a hand over her heat to calm it then hissed, "Jeez, you almost gave me a heart attack. I've had enough of those for one day."

"I didn't think it was possible to sneak up on a telepath."

"It's, it's not. I-I was j-just testing you." She stuttered.

Batman ignored her comment and continued, "Today was a disaster. And Cyborg couldn't even find Slade."

"I know, okay? I let him in more than I should have. I was trying to give him hope so that I could stall longer. It was a stupid idea. It won't happen again."

Bruce paused. "Sara, you're still young. I think that maybe I expect too much of you. If you feel like you can't take it anymore, just stop protecting us. Robin would understand."

"Robin may be older than I am but just barely. And I've been through worse when it comes to affairs of the mind."

"He's not after you, Sara. If you stop blocking him, he'll leave you alone."

_Ha, if only…_ she thought, keeping her true feeling carefully guarded. Bruce didn't need to know the whole truth. Not yet. Maybe not ever, if this ended well. Instead, she distracted him with an accusation. "Dick put you up to this didn't he?"

Unsurprisingly, the Caped Crusader nodded. "We're worried about you. And you have to admit, we have every right to be."

"I'm almost eighteen Bruce. I can take care of myself."

"Can you? Because if not for Raven, you may have lost to Slade long ago."

"I said I can take care of myself. Good night!" She turned on her heel and stormed back to the hospital room, again careful not to wake Robin. But instead of going straight back to bed, she pulled up a chair to the window and looked up at the night sky.

She spotted Orion and Taurus, and all the other constellations that Sara and Dick used to spend every night watching. Sighing with hopeless longing, she wished she was home. She wished with all her being that she was back to her not-so-normal life in Gotham. Thought it'd gotten quieter without Robin, quiet sounded really good right now.

Her eyes found the Northern Star. Thought it was childish, she found herself saying, "I wish I may. I wish I might. Grant this wish I wish tonight. Please…don't let Slade win. I know what he's up to. I know what he's planning. I don't want that to happen. Ever. Please, please, please, let my wish come true. If you can't save me, then at least save Dick. He's a good man; he deserves to live life to the fullest. Please, help me."

But the only response was silence.

**Author's Note:** I gotta say, writing this last part was really sad. I can remember a time when I was desperate enough to make a wish on a star, and I wasn't a little kid. Haha, and the Northern Star is a reference to Hanna Sedai's fanfiction. Seriously, if you like this story, you'll love that one! PLEASE REVIEW! I have 29 chapters and ONLY THIRTEEN REVIEWS SO FAR! I don't care if it's one word to one hundred pages. I just want to know what you guys think.

I'll see you all next week. Have a great rest of your day. Sorry again about the wait. Peace out!


	31. Chapter 30: Taking Risks

**Disclaimer: **I wonder what would happen if I didn't disclaim this chapter. Hm...I don't want to risk it. I don't own Teen Titans. Just the story line and Oriole.

**Author's Note:** Okay, recap time: Cyborg's doohickey didn't work and Oriole's withholding information...AGAIN! Honestly, she would get in less trouble if she was just open. Oh well. So, I actually got 2 reviews for chapter 29. yay! But come on people, more than two of you love me, right? PLEASE REVIEW! Enjoy chapter 30!

Oriole

Chapter 30: Taking Risks

Batman

12:00 pm

Jump City

Hotel

Bruce ran a hand through his hair as he loaded the Bat Cave's archives on his laptop. He pulled up everything he had on either Slade or Deathstroke the Terminator. Next to nothing was on Slade's profile, just the files the Titans sent to him and the notes they'd found scattered across Robin's desk. But Deathstroke was a whole other story. It was his assassin name, a false identity meant to strike fear into his targets. Deathstroke was infamous throughout the criminal underground for never failing a mission. Not even when Batman tried to stop him in Berlin a few years back, while Robin was just settling down in Jump and Sara was with Barbara, both trying extra hard to not have a cat fight every two seconds.

Sara…Bruce pushed the thought out of his mind. He had to focus. _What are you looking for, Bruce?_ He asked himself.

_If it's something about me, you're about to be sadly disappointed. _

Bruce tried his best to stay calm, but his hand curled into a fist. Grounding himself, he called on all those years studying meditation and focused on a single image, namely a picture of Slade Wilson and his family. Why? Only to shake the villain up a little bit.

A startled feeling crept over Bruce, feeding through the mental link Slade established. He didn't ask any questions, just accepted that it was true. _If you wanted to insult me, you should have just said something._

_A picture's worth a thousand words._ Bruce countered.

Slade chuckled._ Now I see where Robin gets his wit from. It's really quite adorable, but I didn't come here to make witty comebacks, Wayne._ He highlighted Bruce's last name.

Batman rolled his eyes. Of course Slade knew his name. He knew Sara's and Dick's. Anyone that didn't figure it out after that was an idiot.

_Oh, I figured it out long before that. But we're getting off subject, so I'll get straight to the point. Whatever you tried to pull yesterday with that chemical scanner, I wouldn't try it again. I can manipulate it so that Sara never breathes again. And you already had a preview of how effective I can be without electronics available._

_If you're so powerful, why haven't you killed her yet?_

_You almost sound disappointed. I always told her that you didn't care._

"You stay the hell away from her, you hear me? She didn't do anything to you."

_Of course not. Well, she didn't do much rather. No, this isn't to punish her. It's to punish you and Robin._

_Then why are you only hurting Sara?_

_You mean she hasn't told you yet? Can't say I'm surprised, but I had hoped she would tell you so that Robin may lose faith. Children are so easy to manipulate._

"We're done talking." Bruce growled. Again, he focused on the mental image of Slade and his family. Finally, Slade left his mind and he was alone again. Well…not entirely alone.

"Master Bruce? Is something wrong? I heard you yelling." Alfred walked in the room, for once not cleaning or carrying any silver platters.

"How can I help Sara when I can hardly defend myself, Alfred? She's protecting all of us from Slade's influence. Up until I've been far away from her, Slade hasn't contacted me. And he only left me alone until he wanted to."

"Perhaps there is more to it than that, sir. If I remember correctly, Ms. Sara's capabilities with the mind were always harder to use on people different from herself. For example, the time she tried to read Ra's al Ghul's mind or even the Joker's. She was so different from both of them that it was nigh impossible to understand their thoughts."

Bruce considered this. "Then why is she so similar to Slade? They're nothing alike."

"Perhaps there's more to this man than you know, Master Wayne. If I were you, I would ask Master Dick. He spent a fair amount of time with Slade. Perhaps he would know."

"Sara doesn't want him to worry."

"With respect, sir, that's not her decision. If you don't want to tell him, that's another matter entirely. But please consider this before you make any decisions, Sara is still very young. Is it really right to put other's needs before hers? If so, to what extent?"

Slade

12:20 pm

Jump City

Location Unknown

Slade watched through the security feed as the Titans bustled around below. Raven meditated with Sara in the hospital room, the heart monitor bleeping normally in the background. Cyborg and Beast Boy were busy making lunch, Starfire at their disposal to run errands, which she'd done twice so far. Robin sat at the computer console, his head in his hands as Slade's profile was on screen. Slade chuckled. _Look high, look low, Robin. You'll never find me._

He laughed as he remembered fooling Cyborg's detection system with his electrical powers. They certainly did come in handy. Even if they did find him, it'd be pretty damn hard to find him. Raven might see him, and Oriole may if Batman and Robin decided to take her along, which he doubted. But if the girls did see him, it would just be the same situation with the dust in Robin's lungs about a year ago. No one would be able to help them. Telepathic powers were also very useful.

Through the mental link he shared with Sara, he heard her think: _She hardly knows me, but she was willing to risk herself to help me. If anyone could help me stop him, maybe Raven could. _

Slade rolled his eye. "Good luck with that, my dear." He replied aloud. "I've beaten Raven before."

Slade cracked his knuckles and prepared himself for what was coming. Sara's attempt at stalling only made her defenses thinner than usual. Just this last time and he was in. Pity Sara wouldn't be around for much longer. She may have proved useful in the future. He shrugged. That's what she gets for resisting her fate.

Slade closed his eye and cast out his mind to brush against Sara's. She didn't notice. She was too busy filling herself up with false hopes. He peeked through his eyelashes at the boy at the computer console, monitoring Sara's condition, and smiled beneath his mask. Robin was in for a big surprise.

Robin

12:30 pm

Jump City

Titans Tower

Robin sighed. Three days of looking and still nothing. Bruce called a few minutes ago, saying that he might have an idea. But beyond that he didn't say anything else. He watched the jagged line that represented Sara's heartbeat.

He pounded a fist on the keyboard. This was so frustrating! How hard could it be to find a rat in his sewer? What was he missing? What connected the dots? Why did he should up at Titan's Tower? And what did he mean by, "But did you tell them everything you discovered while you were snooping around?" He seriously doubted Slade only meant that he was after Robin. What else was she hiding? Robin combed his hair with his fingers and leaned back in the computer chair.

Suddenly, a feeling of apprehension surrounded him. Something was wrong. His first thought was of Sara, but that was impossible. Raven said that Slade wouldn't be able to enter her mind while Sara was meditating. Then what was wrong?

Robin tried to shrug off the feeling but it kept coming back. That's when he heard, "NO!" The heart monitor started going crazy. Robin leapt to his feet, his chair knocking over, and ran to the adjacent room.

Raven lay unconscious on the floor near the window. Sara was strung up like a marionette, electric wires wrapped around her torso, neck, wrists and ankles. Her eyes were a bright copper. Robin took a bird-a-rang out from his belt and threw it at the cords, but it broke apart on impact. Starfire and Beast Boy soon joined him and they too tried to free Sara from her bonds.

"Where's Cyborg?" Robin asked.

"He was making the burgers of ham and then he just shut down. Beast Boy and I believe that he attacked Cyborg, and Raven now too, to make it easier for him to-"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Sara screeched. The walls and floor lit like kindling, snapping at Raven's cloak and Beast Boy's fur. The only way Robin and Starfire escaped unscathed was Robin's cape and Starfire's flying, respectively. Starfire scooped up Raven and Beast Boy, who was a tiger, and flew them out of the room.

"Sara, stop! You're burning the whole room down!" Robin shouted over the crackling flames, glad for the protection of his cape.

Then Batman burst into the room, joined Robin and ordered, "Cut the wires! It'll give Sara some help!"

Without another word, the two leaped into action, dodging flames and hacking at wires wherever they could. Finally, after another couple minutes, Sara was free and like a light switch, her eyes changed back to normal, the flames went out and the electrical wires folded back to their original places.

Sara sat up and looked between the two men, then around the room, observing the destruction she and Slade wrought. Robin hesitantly crouched down next to her. "You okay?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No. Look what I did. Look at what I'm causing. I shouldn't be here."

"That's a lie. You belong here."

"Do I?"

"Rephrase: you belong here more than anywhere else. Better?"

Sara snickered. "Can't I sulk for two seconds without you ruining the moment?"

He smiled and thought about it for a second. "Nope, not really."

She laughed and shook her head. Then she looked up at Bruce. "Thanks for getting here so quick B."

He nodded.

Robin, meanwhile, wasn't totally following. "What do you mean?"

"She called me before she was attacked. She said she knew this would happen."

"Why didn't you warn Raven?" Robin demanded.

"Slade already knocked her out. That's kinda how I knew, stupid."

Robin said nothing. Instead, he noticed the deepened frown and crinkled brow on Bruce's face. "What's up?"

As if snapped back to reality, Bruce looked down at him, then at Sara. He sighed and said slowly, "Sara, I have to ask something terrible of you."

The two teens exchanged looks, then turned their eyes back to Bruce. "Like what?" Sara asked.

"We need to find Slade. Since Raven's out of commission and Cyborg's scanning equipment didn't work, we don't have another choice."

"Get to the point." Sara encouraged.

He sighed again and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You won't like it."

"Try me." When Bruce didn't speak, she added, "Come on, spit it out."

Batman and Oriole's eyes meant and Robin's own eyes widened. He knew what Bruce was about to say. How could he even consider that? And so soon after being attacked? What was he thinking?

"Look into him, Sara. Find him. Look into his mind."

**Author's Note:** Whoa...we're getting a little desperate here, huh Bruce? Haha, can't you all just imagine the look on Robin's face? Lol, he's so pissed right now. Ah well, he'll get over it. HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER! PLEASE REVIEW!


	32. Chapter 31: Really Stupid Mistake

**Disclaimer: ** I don't own Teen Titans.

**Author's Note:** Hola todos! Que te pasa? What's up everyone? We're back with Chapter 31 and it's time for some Slade searching. Wait…why is the chapter called "Really Stupid Mistake," ? Ruh roh Raggy. *Scooby Doo voice*

Oriole

Chapter 31: Really Stupid Mistake

Oriole

12:45

Jump City

Titans Tower

"Look into him, Sara. Find him. Look into his mind."

Robin exploded like Bruce pushed a detonation button. "Are you crazy! She can just barely fight him off when she has the home field advantage and you're sending her into his mind? No way in hell am I-"

"Robin." Robin halted and stared at her, rage as plain as the nose on his face. "I'll be fine."

His eyes widened. Like a light switch, anger turned into worry and confusion. "But, Sara, this could kill you!"

Oriole rolled her eyes, trying to lighten the mood and calm him down, even though she knew full well he was probably right. "Don't be so dramatic. I'll be fine. Really."

"Will you? You've said something like that before."

"Robin, this is my life not yours. Stop worrying. If I say I can handle it, then you should trust me."

"Yeah, I tried that before and then I had to save your sorry ass."

Sara scowled at him. Deciding to ignore him, Sara closed her eyes and reached out her subconscious cautiously.

Vaguely she heard Robin's voice, but it was like a distant dream or memory. "Sara? Sara!"

It didn't take long to find Slade. She knew the feel of his mind after being attacked by it so many times. Sara almost laughed at his audacity to set up base there! Wouldn't someone notice him there?

She began to pull out, but something stopped her. A mental barrier. But instead of keeping her locked out of his mind, Slade trapped her there.

Slade's mental voice chuckled. _Nice try, my dear. But next time…well, there won't be a next time will there?_

Raven

12:45

Jump City

Titans Tower

Raven's body ached all over. She shuddered as the memory of how this happened came back: feeling Slade's mind, the dark shroud he placed over her mind, entrapping her in her own subconscious, Oriole shouting, "NO!", knowing it was inevitable. Then, nothing. Just nothing. Slade was so powerful. Only now did she truly appreciate all that Oriole was doing. Without her, Raven would be Slade's puppet by now.

But now she was aware of a small…pulse-like entity brushing against her consciousness, pulsating out in a wave around its source. Raven's eyes snapped over and her pupils dilated. Oh no.

Starfire hovered over her, literally, as Raven got to her feet hurriedly. "Friend, you have returned to consciousness. You are well, yes?"

"I'm fine, Star. What is Oriole doing?"

"The Man of Bats told me to be ready. He said friend Oriole was going to attempt to find Slade."

Without another word, Raven's form took a raven shape, sunk to the floor and reappeared again in the hospital room, where Robin and Batman were sitting close to Oriole, who was in a trance-like state. "What is she doing?"

"Oriole is trying to find Slade. Even though she was just attacked and she could get hurt because of this." Robin growled with a hint of accusation in his voice as he glared at Batman. "Why? Is it dangerous? Like I said it might be?"

"You have no idea."

"Huh! Looks like I was right."

"Robin, now's not the time for 'I told you so.' If she finds Slade and he senses her coming, he could trap her in his mind, or worse, and leave her body in a coma for a long time, possibly for the rest of her life."

"Or, just take it over completely." Oriole's body stood and smirked at them, her bangs falling over her right eye. And that voice. That wasn't her voice. Sure, it was coming out of Oriole's mouth, but that wasn't her voice. It was Slade's voice. "You know, I never really noticed how stubborn she was until this all started. Now it's definitely apparent, and a little obnoxious. But she can be tamed after a little push in the right direction."

Everyone froze, staring at Oriole with wide eyes, all except Raven, who knew this was coming and always kept a firm grasp on her emotions. Slade laughed. "You look surprised. But you should be a little frightened. See, with Sara out of the way, permanently I might add, she's left you all vulnerable."

"You did _not_ just threaten my friends." Oriole hissed, her voice and emotions returning.

A mixed cry of agony, Slade's and Oriole's voices, echoed in the small tiled room. Oriole's hands clapped to her head. Her eyes changed rapidly from copper to emerald to black and back again. Raven reached out a hand, metaphorically speaking, to aid her, but she pushed it aside, insisting she could fight him off. Thunder boomed outside as dark clouds began to form around the Tower.

Starfire flew in then, her eyes the size of saucers. "Oriole! Friend, what is wrong?"

Robin held her back, explaining as quickly as he could. But all the while, Raven felt helplessness overwhelm him, fear for his 'sister' permeating all of his being. Through their strengthened connection, she sensed a plan formulating in the back of his mind. It was simple, but the message was not. If Slade continued attacking Oriole like this, Robin felt that he had no choice but to meet Slade's demands. And he knew only too well what Slade wanted. Then again, he couldn't just hand himself over without knowing where he was.

Apparently, Batman was thinking along a similar line. "Sara, where is he? Tell us and we can distract him."

Slade chuckled, "She doesn't know. You're little retrieval mission was futile.

Raven attempted to learn Slade's location through Sara's mind, but only met an impregnable wall surrounding it. Whether Slade or Oriole put it in place was unclear. She frowned. There might be a way to purge Slade from her body, temporarily of course, but it was risky.

"Robin," Raven called. When she got his attention, she quietly laid out her plan for him. When he gave her the go-ahead, Raven crossed her legs and levitated in a meditating position. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos. Azarath Metrion Zinthos." Raven felt her magic uncoiling inside her. She focused it into a kind of beam, latching it onto Slade's subconscious, being careful to avoid Oriole's. Slade didn't even notice. Like it was a rope wrapped around him, she pulled as hard as she could, forcing his mind out of Oriole's body.

The thunderstorm outside came to a sudden halt and Oriole collapsed to the ground. As Raven cut the flow of magic, she felt it draining her energy. Before she fully released Slade back into his own body, everything went black as Raven fell unconscious.

Robin

12:45 pm

Jump City

Titans Tower

It was a week later. Sara was still in a coma and Robin didn't leave her side for very long, only to grab a plate of food or go to the bathroom. Batman and the other Titans tried persistently to track Slade down, but every lead came to a dead end. Just like before all of this started, Robin and Batman didn't speak. They didn't even interact with each other. Robin pretended that Bruce didn't exist and vice versa, but Bruce occasionally tried to talk to him.

Like right then for instance. Bruce stepped through the door and walked to the other side of Sara's bed. Sweat beaded her forehead and drenched her clothes. Every once in a while, Robin would move her to a different bed while someone else cleaned the sheets.

Bruce laid a gloved hand on her forehead, as if to feel her temperature. For a while, neither spoke. But finally, Bruce said, "She seems stable."

Robin said nothing. Stable. Just like yesterday. And the day before that. And the day before that. He frowned. All of this was Bruce's fault. He suggested it. If he hadn't given Sara the idea, she wouldn't be like this.

"She'll make it through this. She always does."

Again, Robin didn't respond. She wouldn't be okay. She might die because of him. And he just stood there, acting like he gave a damn when he clearly didn't. For the billionth time, he was grateful Bruce couldn't read minds. Otherwise, he might try to defend himself and then they would really fight. Like, with fists, not just words.

Bruce strode towards him. Dick acted like he wasn't there. The elder man put a hand on the boy's shoulder. Dick shrugged it off.

Bruce sighed. "Dick, you can't keep avoiding me."

"Why the hell not? I've been doing it for, what, three years? Yeah, it's been three years. And guess what? I made it fine without you."

"Not with Slade you haven't."

He did not just say that. Dick stood and glared at Bruce, his muscles shaking from the effort it took to keep his fist from flying right at him. "You dare talk down to me, after putting Sara through all of this? All of it could've been avoided if you hadn't tried to push her away at the first sign of trouble! After everything that happened because you screwed up, you're blaming me? How in hell is this my fault, Bruce? Because I didn't catch Slade? I don't see you doing any better! You can't even find him."

"Dick, I never said this was your fault." Bruce replied calmly.

"But you implied it! You always try to blame me or someone else for your mistakes. Sara told me how much you yelled at her for nothing. Whenever things got bad, you know who she turned to? Me. She called me, no matter what time of night it was, and asked for advice on how to put up with your bullshit!" Angry tears sprang to his eyes; Robin was thankful for his mask. "Why did you do this to her, Bruce? Why did you ask her to do something she clearly wasn't ready for? I tried to warn you, but you let her go through with it!"

And then, a blip on the monitor interrupted everything, and both men froze. The brain scanner started to detect coherent thoughts. Sara was waking up.

Robin, forgetting everything else but that little brain wave, sat back down and took Sara's hand. "Sair? You in there, Sara? Can you hear me?"

The Titans filed in the room, probably alerted by either the monitor in the commons area or by Raven. Ever since she'd help Sara fight off Slade, she was more in tune with Sara's thoughts. But, according to Raven, her thoughts hadn't been coherent enough to tell what was going on. Cyborg stepped around Robin's chair and studied the scanner's data. "I can't tell for sure, but I think she's waking up."

"Is Slade in there with her?" Bruce asked Raven.

Raven closed her eyes and placed two fingers against Sara's right temple. "I can't be certain, but I think she's alone."

"Sara? Come on back; it's okay." Robin murmured.

Her eyebrows twitched and slowly she opened her eyes. She blinked and her eyes snapped open, pure black. She gasped and sat up, looking around the room frantically. Robin squeezed her hand and her attention snapped to him.

"Sair? Is that you?"

"The Haunt. He's at the Haunt." She said in a dreamlike state.

With that, she passed out, falling limp against the pillows.

**Author's Note:** Damn, she's really messed up. So, Slade's at the Haunt. But they would've checked there already right? So why didn't they find him? Hm….REVIEW PLEASE! HOPE YOU ENJOYED! See ya' next week.


	33. Chapter 32: Raid

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Teen Titans.

**Author's Note: **Well hello again, everyone! Merry Christmas! Happy Kwanza! Happy Hanukah! Etc. Sorry I can't do a Christmas special, but Halloween's special got me way behind on chapters and I finally caught up mid-November, so I'm just gonna say, I hope you have a very Merry Christmas (or whatever you celebrate) and enjoy a chapter of Oriole over the holidays.

Oriole

Chapter 32: Raid

Beast Boy

1:00 pm

Titans Tower

Jump City

"Dude, you know he'll see us coming right?"

The five Titans and Batman discussed the planned raid on the Haunt. But no one seemed to realize Slade might have moved, other than Beast Boy that is.

Raven shook her head. "Maybe, but he won't be able to do anything about it. It takes an incredible amount of concentration and control to take over someone's body, especially when that somebody fights back. If Slade wants to stay in control of Oriole, he won't be able to do anything."

"That's a pretty big "if."" Beast Boy grumbled.

"But it's the best lead we have. Lives are on the line; we don't really have any other choice." Robin snapped.

"Robin," Starfire said, "what do you mean by lives plural? Only Oriole's life is at stake."

"No, it's not. If Slade gains control and she becomes his apprentice, there's no telling what havoc they could reap together. Especially if Sara reverts back to her mercenary days. Then we're all in trouble."

"Is that even possible?" Batman interjected, his eyes on Raven. Even after almost a month around the Dark Knight, Beast Boy still hadn't gotten over it.

Raven considered it for a second. "I'm not sure. The limits of Slade's telepathy are impossible to just take an educated guess on. Even Oriole doesn't know the full strength of her mental abilities and she can't control bioelectricity like Slade."

"In English?" Beast Boy asked.

"It means that it may be possible, but improbable."

"Why do you say improbable?" Batman pressed.

"I don't believe he would do something like that. If I'm right, and Oriole and Slade's abilities draw energies from their own bodies, it would take too much energy to try something like that. Unless…" Raven trailed off, her eyes widening.

Now everyone was worried. If Raven was actually revealing a concerned look, something was definitely wrong. "Unless what?" Robin asked.

"Unless he made her forget who she was by erasing her memory, and causing amnesia. If he can, then he might. Believe me, you don't want that happening. If you think things would be bad if he controlled her, imagine if he loosed her on the city after she's been reverted back to her original state, before you two found her." She explained, motioning to Batman and Robin as she referred to them as "you two."

Silence fell over the group. Beast Boy, hating awkward silences, spoke up, "Well we better find Slade then."

Robin nodded. "If Raven's right, then Slade should be out of commission for a while. If so, this should be an easy fight. Regardless, someone needs to stay here to keep an eye on Oriole. Slade might try something before we get to him and I don't want to take any chances."

"Why don't we just strap her down to the hospital bed?"

"They're too easy to get out of," Robin said, speaking from experience. "I know who I want to stay behind, but I know he won't agree."All eyes turned to Batman, knowing exactly who Robin was talking about. Batman stared back at the Boy Wonder. Robin continued, "After all, you did tell her to do this. It's only fair that you keep an eye on her, make sure she doesn't get into even more trouble. Think you can handle that?"

Beast Boy gaped at his leader. BB never would've talked like that to Mento; he'd be in so much trouble. But then again, Robin didn't live with Batman anymore. On the other hand, Beast Boy didn't live with Mento anymore either.

At first, he thought Robin's behavior would turn this into a fight, but then Batman replied calmly. "Then you should probably get going. It's only a matter of time before Slade finds out what Sara told us.

Robin looked surprised by the Dark Knight's answer, and he acted it too. "Uh…right, yeah, I suppose we should. Titans, let's get going."

As the Titans headed out for the door Robin stayed behind for a moment, still looking awestruck at his mentor. Then he ran after his fellow Titans.

Beast Boy felt excited, as he did every time they went after Slade. Maybe he'd finally avenge Terra this time, and now Oriole too. But no matter what happened, they were going to stop Slade. They had to.

Slade

1:08 pm

Jump City

The Haunt

Slade smiled under his mask and slowly got to his feet. _Well done, my dear. You've lead them right to us._ He thought to Oriole's subconscious mind.

Her mind stirred and awoke sluggishly. But he didn't have to repeat himself for the message to get across. After all, she could read minds. _No. No! Slade, please, you don't need to do this!_

_Don't I? You said it yourself: Robin will never listen to me if I don't do something different. For example, making it clear that they won't even be able to find me without my involvement._

_ Slade, I'm begging you. Leave the others out of this. I started this, so let me finish it._

_ I'm afraid you won't do. You don't have as much potential as he does. But don't worry. We'll test his skills on you, so you'll get to be a part of it._

With that, he finally released her from her prison (so to speak) and walked to the main hall. Someone needed to greet the Titans when they arrived.

Batman

1:22 pm

Titans Tower

Jump City

Bruce brushed a stray hair from Sara's face. The rest of her midnight black hair and her clothes were plastered to her skin with sweat and her face was gaunt, cheekbones sticking out a little bit more than they should. Sara's breathing was irregular and almost raspy. Her eyes flicked this way and that beneath her eyelids, clearly finding something interesting.

Suddenly, her eyelids snapped open to reveal defeated green eyes, defeated and frightened. She looked at Bruce and sat up.

"Sara? What's wrong?"

She swiped her mask from the bedside table and her flame-proof cape from a nearby stool. "They're in trouble."

Robin

1:35 pm

The Haunt

Jump City

Robin twirled in mid-air, missing the tawny colored wolf's teeth by mere inches. He'd watched as Slade changed into a wolf just seconds ago, and now Cyborg was down, Beast Boy was cornered and Raven and Starfire fought off Sladebots to protect their fallen half-robot friend.

He took out his bo-staff, still flipping in the air, and brought it down hard on Slade's muzzle. Slade grunted and rubbed his nose with his paw. He snarled at Robin and lashed his tail. Somehow, though, Slade was more intimidating as a human than a wolf. Robin charged and swung his bo-staff under Slade's paws. Slade leapt over and landed on Robin's chest, grabbing the Boy Wonder's cape as Robin's legs collapsed under Slade's weight. The cape tore, his bo-staff rolled away from Robin, and Slade jumped back to his original position, a piece of Robin's torn cape in his jaws. He tossed it aside and growled.

Robin was still recovering and his chest hurt where Slade dug his claws in. While he was still on his knees, Slade growled and leaped at him, claws outstretched. But then, with a blur of fur and fangs, Slade-wolf flew away from Robin and landed in a heap. Another wolf, a black one, landed in front of Robin, snarling and snapping its fangs.

"Thanks, Beast Boy, I owe you one!" Robin called to his friend. The wolf didn't turn.

"Uh…dude?" Beast Boy changed from his falcon form next to him.

Robin's eyes widened. "Sara?"

Sara's green eyes looked back at him as the wolf turned her head.

Slade changed back into a human and pulled out his bo-staff. He chuckled. "Getting tired of being locked up, my dear?"

The only response he received was a low growl.

"Well, come on. Unload. I'm sure you want to take out your frustration on something."

Sara's ears pressed flat against her head and her growl grew in volume. Slade chuckled and changed back into a wolf, his growl deeper and more menacing than hers. Sara launched herself and Slade and landed on his back, sinking her fangs into the scruff of his neck and pulling so hard, Robin was amazed the skin didn't tear right off.

Slade jumped and landed on his back, all of his weight landing on the black wolf. Slade got to his feet (paws?) and grabbed her by the scuff, swinging his head to throw her into a nearby wall. Sara yipped and sank to the ground, blood seeping out of her neck where Slade bit her. Slade snorted and held his head high. He padded over to her and growled loudly.

Sara's ears pressed against her head as she growled in response. Beast Boy's eyes widened. "Oh no."

"Beast Boy, what's going on?" Robin demanded.

But the changeling just shook his head, as if saying, "Just wait and see."

Slade's head raised directly above Sara's and he snapped his jaws, just missing Sara's ear. As he began to lower his head, Sara lowered hers, her tail tucking between her legs. That's definitely not a good sign.

"No, Oriole! Don't lose!" Beast Boy muttered in distress.

"Beast Boy, what's happening?"

"It's a submission thing. If Oriole lies down and doesn't fight back, in the wolf mind, Slade has complete control over her."

"What does that mean when she changes back?"

Beast Boy shook his head. "I don't know. But I don't like it."

Just as Beast Boy predicted, Oriole lay down and stopped growling. Her hackles on her shoulders still rose to their full size, making it look like she had a porcupine on her back, and her ears pressed against her skull, becoming indistinguishable against the rest of her midnight black fur.

Slade roughly knocked her to her side with his forepaw and howled in victory. In response, Beast Boy changed into a wolf as well and snarled a challenge. One of Sara's ears perked up and she slowly stood up while Slade's attention was focused on Beast Boy.

Then she leaped at him, her teeth biting deep into his throat, claws raking down his flanks. Slade yelped and pulled free, blood flowing freely down his neck and chest. Slade's legs collapsed beneath him. Sara's muscles bunched up as she prepared to pounce. "Sara, don't!"

She stopped and looked up at him, her eyes studying him curiously. _Why?_ She asked in thought.

"Because it's not right, and you know it."

_If you think up a better way to stop him, I'm all ears._

"We'll take him in."

The black wolf shook her head as the green one, Beast Boy, pulled Slade to his feet by the scruff of his neck. _That never works in Gotham. Why should it work here? Besides, his powers will work just as well in jail than it will here._

"Then we'll take his powers away. He must've done it to your cousin. So there has to be a way- Sara look out!"

Slade threw his body at Sara, not giving her time to react. His head butted into her side, throwing her into the side of the roof's entryway. She slid to the ground, so weak she changed into a human. Beast Boy entered the fray, biting Slade's tail to lure him away from Sara. But Slade hardly seemed to notice the wound and clawed at Beast Boy's face. BB yelped and skittered back, passing out as a human. Robin charged, but Batman appeared out of nowhere and grabbed Slade by the scruff. He hurled Slade at the far wall. He helped Sara to her feet while Robin ordered the retreat.

Everyone looked at him with confused looks, wondering if he said what they thought he just said. "You heard me! Fall back." He threw smoke pellets at the ground and ran over to Beast Boy, slinging the smaller boy's arm over his shoulders, Raven taking his other arm, and they lead the changeling away.

_I'm sorry Ro. Maybe I should've stayed behind._

_ No apologies. We need to get back to the Tower. Do you think you can heal Beast Boy?_

_ It's the least I can do. And didn't Cyborg get hit pretty hard? I thought I saw him unconscious._

Robin looked up at Starfire, who was hauling the knocked out teen. _Yeah, but he wasn't hit. Slade drained the electricity out of him. He just needs to recharge and he'll be fine._

_ This is all my fault. I'm sorry._

_ No. I should be sorry. I have every chance to let you leave this nightmare and I keep screwing it up. _

_ Don't even think about it! Ro, if I wanted you with Slade, I could've handed you over to him on a silver platter. Please, don't do something stupid on my account. I'm just…I'm just worried about the others._

"So am I…" Robin breathed, blocking Sara out of his mind again.

"Robin?" Raven asked. "We just passed up our one chance at catching Slade."

_Don't I know it. _ "No we didn't. There's another way. There has to be." _Otherwise, come next week, I might be Slade's apprentice again._

**Author's Note:** Oooh, getting a little desperate now, are we Robin? Haha, so what do you guys think? Is Robin gonna hand himself over to save Sara? Or are they gonna have a sappy Disney ending where everything works out as it's supposed to? Or is it something else entirely? Hm….

Hey, you know what you're Christmas present could be to me, everyone? A flood of reviews! I would love that more than a pair of socks, so please REVIEW! Happy Holidays to all, and to all a good night!


	34. Chapter 33: Morphine

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Teen Titans. Just the story and the character Oriole.

**Author's Note: **Happy New Year! Welcome to 2012, everyone! And my first chapter of the New Year is a doozy. You guys have no idea how long I've been waiting to get to this part of the plot, where Slade tries to possess Oriole. My book journal for Oriole is flooded with ideas for it, since I've been so excited.

Back to business, welcome to the New Year and my first chapter in 2012. Enjoy Chapter 33.

Oriole

Chapter 33: Morphine

Robin

1:55 pm

Titans Tower

Jump City

Robin leaned against the far wall, watching the scene unfold. Oriole activated her healing abilities and mended the shape-shifter's cracked ribs. Beast Boy's eyes fluttered as he returned to consciousness. When the deed was done, Sara slumped into a chair, sweat beaded on her forehead. Clearly, that fight took more out of her than he thought. Raven helped Beast Boy into a sitting position.

"Ugh, did anyone get the number of that bus that hit me?"

A faint smile lit Sara's face. "No, but we did see the driver."

Beast Boy grinned, probably because someone finally responded to his terrible jokes. "I suppose you and Raven helped me heal faster, huh? Thanks, both of you." He said, looking between the two girls.

Sara shrugged. Raven muttered, "You're welcome," then turned on Oriole and grumbled, "Maybe this wouldn't have happened if you stayed put like you were supposed to."

Oriole glared back at her. "I saved your skins, admit it. If I hadn't shown up, someone could have died. Believe me, Slade was feeling dangerous enough."

"You would know." Raven hissed, her violet eyes slits as she glared at the younger girl.

Sara sighed. "What did I do now Raven? What could I possibly have done to make you so angry at me-"

"I read Slade's mind. I know what you've been hiding."

Sara's face paled, but she tried to keep her composure. "What are you talking about?" Her voice quivered worriedly.

"I know why Slade can enter your mind so easily and why you've been protecting Robin the most."

Sara laughed, a hint of nervousness behind her poker face. "Duh! 'Cause he's the one Slade's after."

"Really?"

Sara scowled. "What are you trying to say Raven? Spit it out. I'm all ears."

"It's because Slade and you are so alike."

And just like that, Sara smacked her and her eyes turned black as coals. "Don't you dare compare me to Slade. He killed my parents. We're nothing alike."

Raven scowled back at her, trying to keep her anger under control. Batman stepped in and grabbed Sara's arm and Robin pulled Raven away. The last thing they needed was a catfight between Oriole and Raven.

Robin understood where Sara was coming from. He too was a lot like Slade, which was what Raven was trying to convey about Sara's overprotection of him. Also, in Sara's mind, if she was similar to Slade, even only a little, it made her just as much a murderer as Slade was. From her point of view, it made her just as guilty of her parents' deaths as Slade. But just because he understood, didn't mean he agreed with her.

"Raven? Did you find anything else from Slade?" Robin asked.

She shook her head. "I only got a glimpse, and only to check on Oriole. I only found out things about their connection." There was a definite "but" on the tip of her tongue.

"But…?"

"But, there was something else I found out. It's probably nothing."

"Which is?"

She looked away. "It's nothing. I have to talk to Oriole about it first, okay?"

He nodded and said with a sly grin, "Promise you two won't start World War III?"

A smile twitched on her lips. Unsurprisingly though, she didn't ask Sara right away. Instead she levitated over to the door and left the room, probably to go meditate or something.

Robin looked over at Beast Boy. "BB, take Raven's example and go get some sleep. You look exhausted."

The green teen nodded appreciatively and walked, almost zombified, over to the door to go to his room. It left Starfire and Robin alone in the room. Starfire floated over to Robin and asked, "Robin?"

"Yes Starfire?"

"Everything will be okay, yes? Oriole seemed very scared. And Slade beat her most easily today. I worry for her…and for you. If Oriole should fail at fighting Slade, what will happen?"

Robin tried to ignore the fear in Star's eyes, but it was so consuming it affected his own emotions too. And honestly, he already felt afraid himself. He struggled to find the right words, yet not outright lie to her either. "Oriole's strong. And stubborn as a mule. She'll find a way."

Starfire studied him. "You have not seemed to think so."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "What can I say, Star? Before I came to Jump…she was my best friend. She's like a sister to me, even more like my family than Bruce sometimes. I'll always worry about her when she's not completely safe. I feel the same way about you. And if anything, I'm afraid she'll do something that she will regret, not the rest of us. If Slade gets inside her head and convinces her to be his apprentice until he gets what he wants, we could all be in danger. Sara has the potential to kill millions with a flick of her hand. Bruce and I knew that from the moment she joined the team."

"Does Oriole know that?"

"I don't know. I don't think so, but with her it's hard to tell."

Starfire thought about it for a second. "Does Slade?"

Just the man's name soured Robin's mood and put a frown on his face. "He'd be an idiot if he didn't see it. Sara's more powerful than he is and look at all that he's done. And I have a feeling we haven't seen anything yet."

"Perhaps that is why friend Raven was so upset?"

"Maybe. Honestly though Star, I don't think it matters. But we can't just give up because we're worried we'll fail. Never give in, right?"

His little speech was rewarded with a half-smile from Starfire. He wrapped his arms around her and tried to ease her worry. A purposeful cough made them leap apart. Batman stood near the hospital room's entrance, arms folded across his chest and the way he stared at Starfire made Robin bristle. Starfire seemed just as uncomfortable. Eager to slip away and knowing a "get lost" look when she saw it, the Tamaranian said, "I should try to comfort Raven. She seemed most distressed."

Robin watched her go. As soon as she was gone, he spun around to face Bruce, fists clenched at his sides. "I can't have two minutes of a semi-normal relationship around you, can I? You couldn't have just excused yourself or something? It's not like we were kissing and it's not like she's Roy's girl, Cheshire."

"I never said anything against her."

"It wasn't what you said! It was that look you gave her! She's intimidated by you, and if you can't imagine why, then something's wrong with you." He sighed. "You know what, forget it. I don't want to fight anymore than you do." Quickly changing topics, he added, "How's Sara?"

"She's sleeping, said she was exhausted. Considering all that happened today, I can't say I blame her."

Robin hesitated. What he wanted to say was a touchy subject, but he had to know. "Why did you let Sara out?"

He gave Robin a look that asked how it wasn't obvious. "Robin, she was in a coma for a week. I don't see a problem in letting her stretch her legs."

"But why bring her to face Slade? You knew the risks."

"She knew what she was doing."

"Half the time she seems confident in herself she ends up losing control or captured, haven't you noticed?"

"While you're around, yes."

"What are you trying to say?"

He shrugged. "Nothing. Just that she only seems to lose control while you're next to her."

"Are you accusing me of causing it?" He demanded, outraged that Bruce would even suggest such a thing.

Bruce replied, in a infuriatingly calm voice, "Not at all. But there is a pattern. In any case, Sara was in a coma for a week and we're lucky it wasn't longer. Especially since Slade seems to find a breach in her mental barriers every single time…"

"Why do I hear an accusation in that?" Robin challenged, daring Bruce to "suggest" he himself was the cause of it again.

"It's nothing for you to worry about." And just like that, Bruce brushed past him and headed for the door. "I need to talk to Alfred about something. Call me if her condition worsens. I'll be back in the morning."

Robin caught his arm. Bruce stopped but didn't turn, just waited for whatever Robin had to say. "We will talk about this later, Bruce. Count on it."

Bruce said nothing and headed for the door as if he hadn't even been interrupted. Robin glowered at his back, watching as the Dark Knight exited through the automatic door.

Oriole

2:45 pm

Titans Tower

Jump City

Oriole's eyes fluttered beneath her eyelids. The cause of this, of course, was a dream. Or, more accurate, a nightmare.

_Oriole ran over the rooftops of Gotham, finally feeling at home for the first time in a long time. The city was strangely calm tonight: no muggings, no break-ins, no super villains trying to take revenge or anything like that. She perched on the rooftop of the GCP building, looking down at the city below. Though her parents' house was far, far away from modern Gotham City, she would always feel an attachment to this place. After all, Gotham was where she learned how to survive and how to live. _

_ As Oriole watched the flickering life of Gotham's night, she heard a familiar and foreboding voice. "That is quite a view, isn't it?"_

_ Oriole stiffened. She turned and saw Slade standing right behind her, so close that his burning gaze could scorch right through her. Skittering away, she hopped down off of the roof ledge and kept a close eye on Slade. Finally, she managed to say, "What do you want?"_

_ Slade chuckled. "You mean it isn't obvious?"_

_ Sara scowled. She took out her bo-staff in her belt and lowered into a ready position. "Good luck trying. I have better protection now."_

_ "You may want to check them then." He said as he reached for his own bo-staff, "Because I found it even easier to access your mind. In fact, if I wanted to, I could take control as easily as pull the strings of a marionette."_

_ "What do you want then?" They began circling like starved wolves fighting over a piece of meat._

_ "To make something very clear. I could have taken control of you a couple hours ago, but I didn't. Why? Simply because I didn't want to."_

_ "Really? Because I thought it was because there were more people around." _

_ "Perhaps that added to it." He admitted. Sara smirked, relishing the fact that she was right. But he continued, "However, I could have taken over and killed Wayne."_

_ Sara's eyes widened. So that's what he had in mind. She charged at him, fire blocking Slade's escape as she rammed into his chest and knocked him back. Slade punched her jaw, knocking her to the ground. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth as crimson liquid dripped from her lips. She flipped over her head backwards and rolled to her feet, fists raised and ready. _

"Why is her lip bleeding?"

"I don't know, I just got here."

_A conversation echoed in her ears, but the pump of adrenaline blocked the rest of it out. She leaped up and over Slade's head, kicking his back as she passed. He turned and, in a blur, grabbed her leg and whipped her to the ground. Her skull met concrete and stars popped in front of her eyes. Sara shook the stars from her vision and tried to knock Slade's legs out from under him. He dodged and stomped his boot down on her fingers. _

_ Sara cried out in pain and lashed him with a fire whip. He jumped back to avoid it and she rose to her full height, fire curling around her arms. _

"Sara! Wake up!" A familiar voice shouted in her ears.

_Slade broke off a metal pipe, incredibly, and smashed it over her head. In the back of her mind, she was aware she was asleep. But the pain felt so real, how could it be just a dream?_

"Raven, what's going on?"

"I, I'm not sure. It's like Slade's trapping her in a false reality to take over her mind."

"Then why isn't it working?"

"Oriole's resisting."

_Sara shook off the pain she felt in the hope that her friends would help her. If Raven was right, and this was all a dream, there had to be a way out. Instead of staying to fight, she started to run to try to find the way out. It couldn't be too hard to find. All of a sudden, she halted. Sara tried to move, but her body didn't respond. "Oh shit. That was the wrong move."_

_ Slade chuckled. "Well done, Sara. Well done indeed. I'll thank Raven for you."_

_ The scenery changed and Sara was again trapped in the Void, watching helplessly as Slade took control of her muscles and manipulated them to his will. "Slade, no! Please! Stop!" She screamed, but she knew it was useless. _

Sara's eyes opened and she sat up to see Robin, Raven, Batman and Starfire gathered around her bed. Beast Boy and Cyborg must still be sleeping. She smirked at them and her eyes met Robin's. Her smiled broadened.

_Sara slammed her fists on the small screen that showed what her eyes were seeing. "Leave him alone! Slade, stop it!"_

Sara turned to the edge of the bed and her bare feet touched the cold, concrete floor. She walked calmly over to Bruce and grinned evilly at him.

_"Still think I won't harm him, my dear?" Slade's voice taunted. "Watch and learn."_

"Sara?" Bruce asked, suspicion gleaming in his eyes. Out of nowhere, Sara brought her fist to Bruce's gut and kneed him in the face when he bent over. Bruce fell unconscious as Slade's mind reached out to isolate it. Raven reacted first, throwing Sara's body against the far wall. Sara flipped over her head and landed gently on her feet, her bangs falling over her right eye.

"Raven, what did you just-" Robin started, but Raven cut him off.

"That's not Oriole."

Robin and Starfire charged immediately while Raven fled the room. Distantly Sara felt Slade's curiosity, but for the moment he focused on the two teens. Because the room was so small, Starfire couldn't fly to get an overhead advantage, nor could Robin be as acrobatic as he would have liked. The small space fit Slade's fighting style perfectly. And if Robin and Starfire lost, what would happen to Sara?

Then Raven was there, in the Void, and Sara lost interest in the fight, grateful for Raven's sacrifice by coming there.

_"Raven! Thank God! Hey, in case I don't get the chance again, I'm sorry for hitting you. It wasn't right."_

_ Raven shrugged. "I might've deserved it. Do you know how to get out of here?"_

_Sara nodded. "But we have to hurry!"_

Batman

3:00 pm

Jump City

Titans Tower

When Bruce came to, not too long after, Robin and Starfire had Sara pinned to the far wall. Bruce's hand reached up to the bruise forming on his cheek. What on Earth had gotten into her? He knew the cause right away. Slade. Slade found a way to win. Sara lost. Maybe forever. Batman got to his feet and helped the Boy Wonder and the Tamaranian keep Sara from hurting anyone, or herself. All at once, a black raven, obviously from Raven, cut them off from her. Robin looked over at Raven with accusing eyes, who appeared at the doorway.

Raven said nothing, just kept her attention on the possessed girl. Batman looked back at his protégée and watched as her legs wobbled beneath her as if she were dizzy. Tears formed in Oriole's eyes and she fell to her knees, hiding her face in her hands. Robin dropped down next to her and put a hesitant hand on her shoulder, perhaps wondering if this was all a trick.

Oriole pulled him to her and sobbed into his shoulder. Starfire floated over to the bed and draped a blanket across the younger girl's shoulders. Robin, meanwhile, wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back, a sympathetic look on his face. Her wet face glanced up at Bruce and she cried, "I'm sorry. I couldn't stop him! I should've found a way. He could've hurt you. I'm so, so sorry, Bruce."

"It wasn't your fault." Bruce mumbled quietly, knowing that she wasn't looking for his acceptance.

Oriole buried her face back into Robin's shoulder, but not before the look of defeat and fear in her eyes imprinted themselves in Bruce's mind. Oriole never cried. Not like this. She may shed a tear or two, but nothing this serious. Bruce's fists clenched in fury. Slade would pay hell for this. Robin looked up at Bruce and he knew exactly what Dick was trying to convey. Both of them knew what this meant. From now on, controlling Sara's body would be a cinch. From now on, there would be no protection.

**Author's Note:** Damn it, Slade! That was NOT okay! *sigh* well, looks like it's tough going from now on guys. What will happen next chapter? Tune in next week to find out! Please review. HAPPY NEW YEAR!


	35. Chapter 34: First

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Teen Titans. I promise.

**Author's Note:** So, does everyone remember what happened last chapter? To recap, Slade pretty much screwed up everything up with a dream sent to Sara and now…well, now we have Chapter 34. Enjoy!

Oriole

Chapter 34: First

Robin

3:00 pm

Jump City

Titans Tower

The Next Day

Robin stepped inside the hospital room and saw Sara curled up in her bed. Sweat glistened on her pale face and drenched her clothes. Her breathing was ragged and hoarse. She looked sickly, broken. She'd gotten worse overnight. Robin walked to his seat beside her bed and took her hand gently in his. Even at that distance, he could feel a fever emanate from her. The heart monitor bleeped normally, sad background music that he usually only heard in hospital scenes in the movies.

Sara's eyes opened and her face brightened upon seeing him. "Hey Ro. What's up?" Sara's voice was so frail. It hurt him to see her like this. She was usually bright-eyed and bushy-tailed by this time.

Robin managed a casual shrug. "Not much, just came to visit. Did you get a good night sleep?"

She smiled feebly. "Not much, no. The nightmares are getting worse." A dark, almost hysterical laugh echoed in the small room. "Slade's getting more inventive with his staged deaths for everyone. I even got upset at BG's murder."

He gave her a grim half-smile. "That bad, huh? Is there anything I can do?"

She chuckled and shook her head. "Not really. But you can stay right there looking handsome as ever."

Robin laughed, despite himself. "You always talk about my huge ego and now you're feeding it? Jeez, you are possessed."

The two teens laughed. Not because it was funny, per say, but more because they needed it. Calm and happiness was becoming less and less frequent, so moments like these were cherished. But it didn't last. Right on cue, her eyes glazed over with a copper finish and her smile turned to a scream of terror and pain.

Ever since yesterday, Slade's attacks now caused physical pain. The only way Sara could defend herself now was for her body to attack itself. And according to the depth of her agony, it hurt like hell. . Robin took her hand, letting her take out her pain on him. "Oh my God, stop! Make it stop!" Her screams grew shrill and painful. Her grip on Robin's hand tightened, nails biting into his skin.

"Hey, shh…It's okay, you're okay. Just wait it out right?" Robin scrambled up into the bed and let her head rest in his lap. "It's okay. You'll be okay."

Sara bit her lip, trying to hold back the screams. It seemed like it would never end. Her body kept twisting and turning, trying to get away from the unbearable pain and the invisible force causing it. Then the cries and screams escaped from her lips, louder and more high-pitched than ever. "Stop! Please! PLEASE! MAKE IT STOP!"

"You just gotta wait it out. It'll stop. I-I promise. You're gonna be okay."This was more horrible than Robin had ever had to deal with. Sara was usually so strong. To see her beg for relief was unbearable. It almost made him feel the pain with her.

Finally, her grip on his hand loosened, and the thrashing stopped. Sara lay limp in his arms, gasping for air and the ghost of her pain still on her normally bubbly expression. Robin made a move to go back to his chair, but Sara's tightened fist around his hand stopped him. "Don't go. Please stay."

_Oh Sara, what has Slade done to you?_ Robin got back into a comfortable position and rested his head on hers. "I'm not going anywhere."

Batman burst into the room, his eyes wide and concerned. He plopped down in Robin's abandoned chair and gazed at the girl.

"Sorry for the scare." Sara muttered, eyes closed and looking even more fragile than before the attack.

Bruce took her hand, his eyes surprisingly tender. "I'm sorry you have to go through this, Sara. I promise; we'll find a way to help you."

By the look on her face, Dick knew she didn't believe him and that hope was the only thing that kept her standing when all she wanted was to lie down.

He looked at Bruce and mouthed, _"Morphine. Get the morphine."_

Bruce nodded and grabbed the syringe from the metal cart near Sara's sick bed. He moved to slip the needle into her skin. Dick shook his head and nodded to the IV drip already hooked up to her arm. Bruce nodded and stabbed the IV bag with the morphine needle.

Not two seconds later, the liquid still in the syringe boiled and the container for the morphine floated to Sara's hand. When Robin tried to stop it from getting to her, she opened one eye and said, "I wouldn't do that if I were you. It's kinda hot."

She caught the morphine in her hand and sniffed it cautiously. "What's with the morphine, guys?" Judging by the panicked look on her face, Robin guessed her question wasn't as casual as her voice.

Robin and Batman exchanged looks and Bruce replied, "We thought it might help with the pain."

Eyes wide, she sat up and glared at him, "Did you inject any into me?"

Slowly, both men nodded. Sara threw the covers aside and got to her feet, pulling the IV out of her arm as she went. But already, the effects of the morphine was taking hold. "Sara? What's wrong with morphine?"

She turned to him, her eyes dilated in fear. "Morphine dulls the senses. How in hell am I gonna block Slade now?"

Again, as if on cue, her eyes flashed copper. Except this time, she didn't feel any pain. That pain was the only reassurance that Slade couldn't take over. Now that it was gone. Dick glanced at Bruce and muttered, "What have we done?"

Slade

3:05 pm

Jump City

Location Unknown

Slade smiled underneath his mask. He sensed the morphine pumping through her veins, knowing there was no feasible way she could block him now. Calming his mind, he visualized the entire city, with all of the people bustling around their everyday lives, ignorant of what was going on in Titans Tower. Slade focused on the Tower, then onto the three people inside the hospital room. Compared to Sara's mind, which glowed like the Fourth of July fireworks, everyone else besides Raven had surprisingly dull minds, giving off a small glow like that of a candle.

At first, he tried to enter Batman's, then Robin's, mind. But even drugged, Sara's subconscious protected them. Slade shrugged off the frustration. After all, he had been expecting that. But with all the protection she gave them, she could no longer defend herself. So, locking her away in the deepest, darkest corner of her mind was a cakewalk. The real problem was getting her out of the Tower.

Robin kneeled down beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. "You okay, Sair?"

Better now than never. Slade whipped a fist out and knocked Robin back. Using Sara's acrobatic skills, she rolled to her feet and leaped over Robin, kicking his head on his way past to make sure he was unconscious. Batman blocked the exit. Slade smiled. _Well, Wayne's on my hit list anyway. _He thought.

He kicked Batman's chest, but he wasn't used to Sara's size and came up short. Wayne smiled and caught Sara's leg, flipped her over and slammed her body against the wall.

Sara's mind stirred. _Bruce? Bruce! Slade, don't! Leave him alone!_

_You're starting to repeat yourself, my dear._ Slade snapped. He slowly stood and blocked Wayne's fist before it could reach his face.

_It's my face! Not yours!_ Sara retorted at his thoughts.

_Yes, well, who will be waking up with a headache tomorrow morning if I hadn't blocked him…then again, I'm not entirely sure myself._

Sara said nothing, but she again tried to break free.

Slade slammed his fist into Bruce's chest, trying to keep up with the fight while having to deal with Sara still. But then, Wayne got the better of him. His kick swung behind the girl's knees and they buckled beneath the pressure. Slade growled in frustration and rolled to his feet.

"Let her go, Slade. She's of no use to you." Wayne said, fists still raised.

"To the contrary, I think she's been very valuable these past few weeks. Easy to manipulate." Slade was surprised that his voice sounded like his, and not Sara's. Wayne seemed disturbed by that fact.

_Ouch._ Sara muttered, but Slade found it interesting that she didn't deny it.

Wayne scowled. "I'm giving you one last chance. I suggest you take it."

_Man, B doesn't know anything about Slade, does he? Wait, did he just hear me?_

_I couldn't agree with you more, Sara. _

_ Yup, he heard me. Damn it. _

Slade chuckled, "Now what makes you think I would do that?"

Slade snapped his fingers and was pleasantly surprised when electricity crackled over the girl's skin instead of fire.

_ Oh shit. I shouldn't be a channel for his powers!_

Slade himself was interested, but he let the matter rest. All of a sudden, Sara's conscious left her body. Shortly after, Wayne's eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed. _There, now he's no threat to you. Just leave him be._

"You're just delaying the inevitable, Sara." Slade muttered as he passed Wayne's sleeping form on the floor. He left through the door into the commons area. From what he remembered about Titans Tower, there were two exits from the commons room but only one lead to stairs.

He froze when he heard the Tamaranian's voice, "Friend, why have you awakened?"

Raven walked in just then, her eyes finding him immediately. "Good question, Star."

Reverting his voice back into Sara's, he replied innocently, "I need some air. I'm getting sick of being cooped up for so long."

_Damn it, Raven, come on! You're already suspicious of me! Figure it out! _

Slade did his best to ignore her, but Sara was right: Raven was onto his act. He held her burning gaze, while Sara chanted "_It's not me"_ in the background. Then the witch girl said, "And Robin really let you out? I thought he was keeping you under lock and key."

_Yes! Yes he is!_

"He thought it might be best for me. Come on, Raven, I'm restless!" Slade whined with Sara's voice, knowing perfectly well that Sara would do the exact same thing.

_Ugh, why do you have to be such a good actor? RAVEN! I'm in here! Stop him!_ She screamed with her thoughts.

_Do yourself a favor and keep quiet. Or I might see fit to just attack them rather than keep up with this whole charade._

Fear echoed through their psychic link and Sara shut her mouth. Raven perked up at the feeling too. Her violet eyes narrowed to slits. Orbs appeared around her hands and her hood pulled up onto her head. Slade's electricity crackled between his fingertips as he got ready to fight. Just then, Raven's eyes turned to something behind him.

He turned and saw Robin, just before he landed a blow to Sara's temple and knocked her unconscious.

Oriole

5:00 pm

Jump City

Titans Tower

Sara awoke strapped to a hospital bed. At first, she felt terrified and tried to break free. Then, a gentle hand fell on her shoulder. She jumped and looked to see Robin sitting in his usual chair. Relief flooded her system and she gazed at him with questioning eyes. "Ro, why am I strapped to a bed?"

Robin glanced sideways at Raven, who Sara just realized was there, and asked, "Raven?"

Raven studied Sara with scrutiny and she felt the empath's presence in her mind. She nodded at him and Robin turned back to Sara, a half-hearted smile on his face. "We're worried about Slade. Supposedly this might help."

"Supposedly? Might? You don't sound convinced." Sara observed emotionlessly.

He shrugged. "It wasn't my idea. If I let Bruce have his way, you'd be in a prison cell by now."

"Why would he put me in a prison? Is he crazy?"

Another shrug. "Maybe. But don't worry about that okay? I'll take care of Bruce." He took her hand and his eyes softened. "Are you okay, Sair?"

She considered this and realized she hadn't really felt much of anything, not even the grief she felt earlier that day about knocking Bruce out and hurting Robin, even if Slade forced her to. "I'm fine, I guess. A little worried, but otherwise fine."

Raven snorted. "You would have to be a moron not to be worried."

"Thank you, Raven." Robin snapped dismissively. She shot him a death glare that would've made even Bruce melt, but Ro ignored her.

"She has a point." Sara pointed out.

Grief flitted across his expression and his grip on her hand tightened. "I'm so sorry, Sara. This is all my fault. The morphine was my idea. I thought that maybe in a drug-induced sleep, you might actually get some rest."

Sara dismissed it with a wave. "It's not your fault. You didn't know." Though, deep down she finally did feel some emotion: anger. How could they have not seen that coming? Okay, maybe Ro had an excuse, but what about Bruce? He always seemed to think ahead before, but now, at the worst time, he decides to act on impulse. Being in a quieter city like Jump was making Bruce soft. Otherwise, he would've thought twice about the drug. She let it go. It's not like she could do anything about it, so why worry?

Robin didn't press the issue, nor Raven, but she could tell he wasn't convinced. But the grief on his face wasn't just about the morphine. "Ro?" He looked up into her eyes, though he'd been trying to avoid them. "What aren't you telling me?"

He tried to feign innocence, but Dick had never been a good liar. Just then, Raven decided to leave. That definitely meant trouble.

"Richard John, what aren't you telling me?" She asked again, fear and anger bubbling up inside of her.

He looked away and mumbled something indistinctly.

"Speak up." Sara commanded.

"Slade called while you were unconscious." Robin spoke louder, his voice cracking upon mentioning the mercenary's name.

Sara remained silent for a minute. Why would Slade call? What could he possibly want? "What did he say?"

He finally met Sara's eyes, but with his mask on, it was next to impossible to read him. Sighing, he said, "He said that if I don't turn myself in, he'll take you away. Then, he said that if I resist even then…he said he'd kill you."

**Author's Note:** Cue the Twilight Zone music! So yeah, Slade's an asshole. And if he doesn't get what he wants, he has a temper tantrum. Damn. Next chapter's a biggie, guys! I can feel it. Bye! Enjoy your day! REVIEW PLEASE!


	36. Vignette 1: Bad Dreams

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Teen Titans.

**Author's Note:** What's this? karana32 posted two new chapters at once and it's not a holiday! There's a glitch in the Matrix! Haha, just kidding. Yeah, I won't normally do this, but I left chapter 34 with such a bad cliffhanger and I didn't want to just give you this next week. BTW, this is not the "biggie" chapter I mentioned in chapter 34. In my mind, this isn't even a chapter, it's a vignette relating to the story. And yes, I do plan on having a few of these dispersed along the story once I go back and edit it. Remember everyone, this is still a work in progress and I fully intend to better this fic. So, after you read it, go back and read again, 'cause I might change something. Okay, I think I've talked long enough so let's get right into my first vignette! Enjoy! Please review!

Oriole

Vignette 1: Bad Dreams

Batman

5:00 am

Jump City

Bruce's Hotel

Bruce growled in frustration. He tried to trace the signal ever since Slade started that video chat. Thirteen hours later he still knew nothing about the assassin, except that he was a devious, merciless, cruel, sadistic bastard. Bruce almost laughed at himself. That cursing sounded like Sara. The thought of Sara sobered his mood. Ever since she awoke, she'd gotten worse (if that was even possible). According to Dick, a peaceful sleep was completely unheard-of. Judging from the bags under the boy's eyes, Bruce guessed that applied to Dick too.

And all this happened because he let Sara go to Jump when he knew it was a bad idea. Logically, he knew there was nothing he could have done about it even back when she asked in the first place. Psychologically, grief didn't allow logic to rid himself of the burden. Alfred did what he could to help Bruce, but the butler's attempts always came up empty-handed. A lot like Bruce's investigation.

His cell phone rang and when Bruce looked at the Caller ID, it read Barbara Gordon. Reluctantly, Bruce answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey Bruce, I'm on three-way with Dick. Any luck?"

Bruce could picture both Dick and Barb holding their breaths in anticipation. "None. Whatever tech Slade is using, it would take much longer to hack."

"How long?" Dick asked immediately. Dick was the better hacker between Bruce and Dick.

"Too long." Bruce replied sullenly.

"Send me a copy of the info. I'll see what I can figure out here." Barbara said.

"It won't do any good, Barbara. By the time you hack it, it'll be too late."

"And by that time, Dick might be in the hands of a psychopath and Sara will be dead. Do you really have a better option?" Barb snapped.

Bruce sighed. Both teens on the other end of the phone waited patiently. "Fine. But be careful with it. We don't need this technology getting in the wrong hands."

"I'll be careful. Unless you want me to pick it up, which I can."

"No, you don't have to do that. You have college to worry about. The last thing you need is a extended vacation for Thanksgiving."

Barb laughed. "You sound like my dad." Though Barbara seemed perfectly at ease, the once "Dynamic Duo" didn't feel so comfy. Finally Barbara added, "Don't worry guys, we'll save the twerp."

Dick chuckled at the nickname for Sara. Bruce wasn't sure why Barbara and Sara disliked each other so much, but apparently Dick found it amusing.

After Barbara hung up, Dick asked Bruce to come over to compare notes on their findings (of which none would be useful) about the transmission. Bruce declined, admitting to the need of sleep and the fact that Alfred walked in the room two minutes ago and shook his head at the idea of Bruce going anywhere.

After Bruce set his cell phone down, Alfred pointed out, "You told Master Dick that you needed sleep. I suggest you head to bed, sir."

As Alfred walked out of the room, Bruce shook his head. Even after all these years, Alfred was still taking care of him.

When Bruce nodded off, as soon as his head hit the pillow, nightmares danced in his head, torturing him with horrific scenarios and grotesque images. He almost woke up once or twice but something kept him pinned in this terrible dreamland.

All at once, the nightmare vanished and he found himself near a lake, a women wading out of the water. To his surprise, it was Sara. And she wasn't swimming. She wore a beautiful white sundress with black flowers on it and, to his amazement, was walking on the water. She wore a serious expression on her face and her eyes glinted with something hidden, something dangerous.

"Sara?"

Sara gazed at him, her eyes meeting his and he saw anguish flitter across her face. "You shouldn't be here. Those things you saw, they weren't yours to see." Her voice echoed as she talked, like she was yelling down a well.

"Were they yours?" He asked.

She smiled grimly. "You always know the right questions to ask." He raised a brow, confused as to how all of this pertained to whatever she was trying to tell him. She looked away and tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear. "I'm not like you and Dick. Even BG's more detective material than me. The only way I can help is with my powers. I shouldn't be on the team."

"But that's not what you came here to tell me, is it?" Bruce knew the answer, of course, but Sara merely smiled and nodded. "Then why are you here?"

She sighed. Leaning in, she whispered, "To keep the bad things away."

Her dress's color changed rapidly from white to blood red and back again, so fast he wondered if it really happened.

Still worried, but not showing it, Bruce grabbed her arms in his hands and asked with urgency in his voice, "Sara, tell me what's going on."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"The Boogeyman might get you."

"You never believed in the Boogeyman, Sara. And certainly not now. You're just not thinking clearly."

She giggled. "Oh, I am Bruce. I'm thinking more clearly than I have in a while." Her emotions snapped back into seriousness and her eyes burned with ferocity. "You can't save me Bruce. No one can. If I'm going to die, at least make sure that Dick stays safe."

She'd already accepted her death? Was the pain really that bad?

She laughed. "Oh, you have no idea."

Bruce frowned. He hated it when she read his mind. That's why he always shut her out. How-

"How am I reading you mind now? Simple. We're in my head now Bruce. Your mind knows the difference and can't adapt to the new environment."

"You still haven't told me why I'm here." Bruce pointed out.

She smiled. "I brought you here to warn you. Slade doesn't want to kill me, Bruce. At least, not yet. I know his plan. Wanna know Slade's secret."

A shadow appeared over the sun above them. Sara looked up and fear lit her face. Her dress turned crimson and the flowers changed into running drips of fresh blood. It became torn at the bottom and her eyes turned black as the blackened sun above them. All around them, a voice boomed, "_I dare you to, Sara. Go right ahead._"

Frightened, she looked at Bruce then down at the water. "Go. Go now!" She pushed him into the freezing lake just as pain surrounded him like a blanket. Just like that, Bruce woke up. Sweat stained his white shirt yellow and stung his eyes. He wiped his forehead with his hand and tried to calm himself down.

What the hell just happened?

**Author's Note:** So, I know that my first symbolic dream was way too obvious and it was…well, needless to say it wasn't the best. Repeat: I promise I'll go back and edit this fic when I get done with it, because do remember everyone: this is still a work in progress. And it will be even after the story is over. I hope this dream sequence was way better and I really want to know for sure if it was or not, so PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW! I NEED TO KNOW HOW I DID ON THIS CHAPTER!

Oh, and btw, happy January everyone!


	37. Chapter 35: So Soon?

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Teen Titans.

**Author's Note:** Okay, I know this chapter and chapter 35 have a time gap, but you didn't miss much. Besides, you all know this is exactly how the episodes would go. It is how it is. What will be will be, etc. So, a little announcement: I'm going to Germany! Yup, I'll be in Germany from the 17th to the 25th in March. That should be enough time to finish up Oriole, but I'm gonna be busy this month and in February because of Speech, so please bear with me everyone. And I am babbling now, so I'll cut to the chase. If you want more info about my trip, leave a review asking about it or send me a private message and I'll get back to you. Enjoy Chapter 36! PLEASE REVIEW!

Oriole

Chapter 36: So Soon?

Robin

5:00 pm

Jump City

Downtown

The T-car drove close next to the R-cycle as the Titans all headed for downtown, where Cinderblock, Plasmus, and Overload were attacking. In a normal situation, all of the Titans would be there. But, with Sara incapacitated and Bruce and Raven keeping an eye on her, Robin had to figure out how to bring the three villains down with just four Titans.

He ordered Beast Boy and Cyborg to take on Plasmus, assigned himself to Overload, and, though he hated leaving Starfire to fight alone, sent Starfire against Cinderblock. The main reason Raven stayed behind was to make sure nothing bad happened with Sara while they were away. None of the Titans thought that this attack and Oriole's condition were unrelated. It was just too convenient.

Robin found Overload in the video store, pulling a Control Freak and bringing anything electronic to "life." Now Robin knew it was just a distraction. Before he went charging into the video store, he attempted to contact Raven and Bruce to warn them but both his communicators and his cell phone were dead, thanks to Overload. He shrugged it off, telling himself that he was being paranoid and charged into battle.

"Reduced to video stores now Overload? I'd say you hit an all new low."

Overload turned to the Boy Wonder and pointed at him, electricity loosing from his arms. Robin dodged and looked up at the water sprinklers up above. He grimaced in apprehension. This was just too easy. Conveniently, the fire alarm was right by the counter. Robin avoided yet another bolt of lightning and tossed a few smoke pellets at Overload's feet. When the monster was completely distracted, he dove behind the counter, where the girl working there that night was cowering.

"Sit tight." Robin commanded and pulled the fire alarm. Water sprayed from the sprinklers overhead and Overload groaned in pain as his solid-ish form dissolved.

This was just too easy. Surely, whatever Slade needed a distraction for would take longer than this. Right? Worried, and remembering his electronics would work without Overload's interference, he pulled out his communicator…only to find it dead. When he tried to turn on his cell, he discovered the same thing.

Robin frowned and glared down at Overload, even knowing he couldn't have done this. "What is Slade planning?"

A scream rang out from the street and Overload seemed to smile (if a computer chip could smile) "Too…late." He rasped.

Robin ran out into the street into a frenzy of frightened citizens and grabbed a boy by the arm in the confusion. "What's going on?" He asked, raising his voice to be heard above the mob of people.

The boy pointed to a large tiger turning the corner further down the street, running out of sight. Robin released the child, said thanks, and hurried after the wild cat. If he was right, and he sincerely hoped he wasn't, this was why Slade didn't need much of a distraction. But when he turned the corner, he lost the animal's trail. He hated leaving the scene so soon, but the truth of the matter was that, without any form of communication, he had no way of asking Starfire and BB to fly over the city and find the jungle cat, nor any way of knowing if his suspicions were correct.

So instead, Robin returned home. He hoped against hope that he wasn't right. He hoped that he would find everything back at the Tower normal and everyone accounted for. And he hoped that if he was wrong, they could catch the escaped animal and figure out why it was running in downtown Jump City.

But when he returned home, he knew immediately that something was wrong. Just before he pulled into the garage, he saw a broken window. Robin parked his bike, threw off his helmet and rushed upstairs as fast as he could. When he arrived in the common room, he spotted Raven bending over Bruce, who was unconscious on the couch.

Raven didn't look up as Robin edged around the side of the couch and stared in awed horror at Batman's wounds. His cape was in shreds, four long, deep scratches inlay his stomach, and just the fact he was unconscious was amazing.

"Oriole escaped." Raven said in her usual monotone voice. She didn't look too injured, just battered a little. "Her heart flat-lined and we thought Slade might've killed her, but then she punched Batman in the jaw, scratched his side and ran out to the common room. She didn't hurt me, but she got away before I could stop her."

"My communicator and cell phone were out of power, so I couldn't reach you."

"Slade said he would do that before Oriole left."

"Slade was here?"

"Not physically." Then she sighed and stood shakily. "That's all I can do for him. He should be waking up soon."

But Robin wasn't listening. He was already sitting at the computer, his fingers flying over the keyboard. Raven levitated to his side and looked over his shoulder. "What are you doing?" Raven asked in an uninterested voice, but Robin knew better than that. She was tired, probably from healing Bruce.

"Tracking Oriole."

"How? I already tried tracking her aura, but it's like it just disappeared."

Robin smiled ironically. "It shouldn't be too hard with the tracer I put on her."

Raven cocked an eyebrow, but said, "So where is she?"

Robin pulled up a map of the city on the screen. It revealed a red dot, representing Oriole, downtown still. Clicking on the dot, Robin learned her location. "PIZZA? Why would Slade send her there?"

About ten minutes later, Robin and the other Titans (minus Raven, who kept an eye on Batman) rendezvoused at PIZZA. "Alright, let me and Starfire go in first. We'll call when we need you."

"How will you call us?" BB asked.

"I will join you if we need your assistance." Starfire replied.

"Good luck in there, man. Say hello to the girl for me."

Robin nodded and, hand in hand, Robin and Starfire headed inside. They found her at their usual table on the patio. Sara was playing with a fork, a sausage pizza abandoned on the table. She hardly touched it.

Robin sat down at the table on Sara's right, Starfire opposite him on Sara's left. "Hi, Sara."

"Greetings." Starfire added with a smile.

Sara didn't even acknowledge them. Robin decided to get straight to the point, "Wanna tell us why we're here? Is there a trap somewhere or something?"

She scoffed and shook her head. "You shouldn't be so trusting of me, Ro. Seriously."

Starfire and Robin exchanged confused glances and he pointed out, "I just asked you if there was a trap here."

"If there was, would I really tell you?" Her eyes looked up at him and Robin flinched.

If he thought Sara was a changed person before, he hadn't seen anything yet. The one spark of hope that distinguished Sara and Slade's control was now gone, replaced by self-loathing, grief and misery.

Finally, he found his voice and asked, "Why are we here, Sara? What do you want to say?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again and looked away.

"Oriole?" Starfire asked softly, her eyes colored with concern.

Sara turned to Starfire then looked to Robin and she sighed, her eyes flicking between the two of them. "I'm sorry, I'm just a little shaken up. Slade…he's a little pissed."

"Why?"

"He thought you'd stay with me when he sent those monsters out. He thought you would be there to keep an eye on me." She laughed humorlessly and shook her head. "I'm a little relieved you left with the others. You saw the Tower, right? Well, it could've been a lot worse."

"Worse how?" She shrugged and again looked away…to the same exact spot as before. Robin looked to and spotted a falcon on the overhanging roof. He turned back to Sara. "Like that falcon, huh?" He nodded at the bird.

Her eyes snapped to him. "Wh-what?"

Robin raised an eye brow. Stuttering? She only stuttered when she was nervous. Something clicked in his mind and he suddenly knew what was going on. He stood up fast, Starfire questioning him why he had, but Robin's attention remained focused on the girl in front of him. He leveled his eyes with hers and leaned forward, saying, "Sara, when I asked you if this was a trap, you didn't really answer. So I'll ask again: is this a trap?"

She held his gaze with calm eyes and answered, "I already told you; if it was, I couldn't tell you."

"Starfire, go get the others." Robin commanded.

Starfire was still trying to process what was happening and so asked, "Why, what is wrong?"

"I have a bad feeling about this. It's too quiet, ya' know? Just, please, go get the others."

Still looking doubtful, Starfire flew to ground level to fetch their friends. Sara's eyes closed and she pressed her fingertips to her forehead. "You shouldn't have done that, Ro."

All at once, Sladebots appeared from every which way, people screaming and running to the stairs. Robin lowered into a fighting stance, his fists clenched tightly. _Come on, guys. Where are you?_ He wondered. Then the falcon fluttered down in front of Robin and changed into none other than Slade, his eye glaring down at Robin.

Robin pulled out his bo-staff. Sara looked between the two fearfully. _Sara, I can't get out of this alone. I need your help. Please._ He pleaded in his mind. Sara didn't acknowledge him, her eyes narrowed at Slade in hate. _Sara? Come on, damn it, answer me!_

Oriole

5:30 pm

Jump City

PIZZA

Sara hated having to do this. To act like everything was normal when the entire time she knew Slade was waiting for the opportunity to capture Robin. And he knew Ro would come in either alone or with just one other person, to seem friendlier. It just made sense. Her eyes kept focusing on Slade, hidden as a falcon on the roof, waiting for the command. Then Robin looked at him and her heart skipped a beat.

Even without using her telepathic abilities, she sensed that Robin knew the truth. And then Slade gave the signal. Everything happened so fast, all she could do was watch…Or maybe not. Her plan was risky, but if it worked everyone would get out of this virtually unscathed. Sara closed her eyes and reached out with her abilities and felt the Sladebots and Slade's shield around the Titans. Hesitating ever so slightly, she threw all of her energy at the shield and it shattered into a million pieces.

Slade stumbled and fell to one knee. Sara then busted the remote strapped to Slade's wrist that controlled the Sladebots, decommissioning the Sladebots. Robin's eyes widened in confusion, but it was quickly replaced with understanding when he turned to Sara. "Go." Sara commanded. "Now!"

"But you-"

"Forget about me. Go. GO!" She shoved him toward the staircase. Robin gazed at her for another heartbeat, before he disappeared down the steps. _Stay safe._ She thought, but didn't send her thoughts out to him. She didn't dare.

Sara grunted as her back hit a stack of cogs. She sank to the ground and gritted her teeth. The crunching of dirt and dust alerted her to Slade's approach. "What was that?" He hissed.

Slowly the girl got to her feet, rubbing her aching shoulder where Slade almost dislocated it. "I'm not you're apprentice, Slade. Might as well accept that now. You can't make me do what you want all the time. And I will never stop fighting you. Ever."

Slade glared down at the teenager. He blocked Sara's wild punch in his hand and stopped the other one from hitting his face. For a brief moment, they struggled equally. Each of the two tried to gain an advantage, but Slade already had one: his strength. Beads of sweat dripped down her face and her muscles strained against Slade's strength, but finally, Slade brought her to her knees and growled in a dangerous voice, "You're forgetting your place, my dear."

He kneed her in the gut, grabbed fistfuls of her cape and hurled her into yet another pile of rusty gears. Sara rolled onto her back, trying to regain her breath and Slade pressed a boot to her chest. For the first time in a long time, Sara felt truly afraid.

The look in Slade's eye wasn't just anger, it was blood lust. She truly believed that this man would kill her. There were other ways to coax Robin into an apprenticeship, she knew that. There were plenty people Ro cared for. The only reason Slade picked her was because she was the easiest one to manipulate. They shared a past.

Then, the idea of what that shared past was, it gave her strength. This man killed her parents. She wasn't going down without a fight. Heat bubbled through Slade's steel-toed boots. And, because metal conducted heat so well, it didn't take long for Slade to yell in surprise and jump away from her. Sara rolled to her feet and stared daggers into Slade, feeling her hate and anger fuel her powers.

"I know where my place is, Slade." Sara announced, cogs shifting in the debris behind her. She raised her arms and the gears followed suit, rising in the air. "And it's not with you." With a yell of determination and a fire in her heart, she unleashed all of her power into the one, simple move and the gears flew through the air at Slade. No one could survive being crushed to death. Not even him.

But then, the inevitable happened. Slade invaded her thoughts, fighting his way through her determination and took control of her body and her powers. The cogs froze in mid-air mere inches from Slade's face. They dropped to the ground with a crash.

Slade approached her, keeping her limbs stiff and stopping any resistance. He halted right in front of her and grabbed the front of her tunic, lifting her into the air with her feet dangling. "Then maybe I can teach you a lesson." He hissed. Electricity crackled over his fingers threateningly.

Sara glared into his eye with defiance and, for she couldn't use her mouth, thought, _Do your worst. You'll need a lot more than a few watts to frighten me._

Instantly, she regretted those words. Slade sent one hundred volts through her body and pain like she never experienced made her body contort in a way it definitely wasn't supposed to. Slade released her and she fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

"STOP! PLEASE! STOP IT!" She screamed, her heart hammering against her chest. The only reason she was still alive was because of her healing abilities. Finally, the pain stopped and Sara lay limp on the dusty floor, her breath coming in rasps.

Slade crouched on the ground next to her and held her chin in his hands. "Let's try this again. Who do you answer to?"

Sara was in so much pain and felt so scared that she almost said the answer Slade was looking for. But a defiant voice rang in her mind, _Don't give in! Don't let him beat you, Sara! Robin and the others are counting on you! Don't give in. Never give in._ Gathering her courage, knowing she would regret it, she growled weakly, "It sure as hell isn't you." And she spat on his mask for good measure. Slade dropped her head mercilessly to the ground and his eye narrowed.

"You're going to wish you hadn't done that."

_Don't I know it._

Again, her nerves exploded from the pain the electricity brought with it. _Don't give in. You can't give in._ The thoughts reminded her of Winston Churchill's words, "Never give in-never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy."

Well, those words definitely fit. But in the pain and fear she was in, she couldn't help but tell herself, _Just lie down. Lie down and wait for it to stop. It seems everlasting but it will end. At least I hope it will. Just lie down, Sara. Lie down._

**Author's Note:** Ah, cliffhangers. The author's bread and butter. How wonderful are they? What did you think, everyone? Isn't that a nice way for Slade to start off the relationship between them? So sweet. …Oh wait, no it's not. PLEASE REVIEW! I hope you enjoyed chapter 36 and don't worry, the drama only escalates from here. Oh, and did anyone get the subtle reference to "Haunted" in Oriole's POV? Or The Homelanders Series one? If you did, kudos to you. You should send a review to gloat about it. Haha.


	38. Chapter 36: The Disc

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Teen Titans.

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! Sorry I didn't post on Sunday. I was a little busy with the end of the semester and was so exhausted after school that I didn't feel like writing. I'm sorry. Well, I'll stop babbling now and let you guys find out what happened.

Oriole

Chapter 37: The Disc

Batman

6:00 pm

Jump City

Titans Tower

Two Weeks Later

Bruce slammed his fists on the keyboard. "Damn it." The Titans' heads perked up at the Dark Knight's reaction.

Robin walked over to him hesitantly. "Batman?"

"It's been two weeks since we saw her. I shouldn't have held back." He referred to when Sara escaped Titans Tower, Slade's possession forcing her to. But because it was still her face, he held back. He could've stopped all this before it began. He looked up at the map. _Where are you, Sara? What is Slade teaching you right now? I'm sorry I let it come to this._

Starfire stepped forward. "Do not despair. We will find her."

Bruce turned to the Tamaranian girl and glared down at her. "It's been two weeks and there's been no sign of her. Who knows what she's going through? And you're telling me to calm down?"

"Hey, it's not her fault Sara's not here!" Robin pushed his way between the Caped Crusader and his girlfriend.

"Are you suggesting it's mine?" He growled, eyes narrowed.

Robin's eyes widened. "What? No! I didn't say that. I just said that you're taking out your anger on Starfire when she was just trying to-"

"To what? Comfort me? The only thing that will do that is to see Sara safe. Two weeks without any contact or any information whatsoever isn't a good sign, and you know that. She could be dead by now, Robin!"

Robin flinched at Bruce's words, not wanting to accept them. "Slade would've told us if she was dead. He'd rub it in our faces."

"And when he does, he's going down." Cyborg added.

Robin nodded. "He won't get away with this. I'll make sure of it."

"How? We've been searching since even before Sara went missing and every lead we had came up empty. Every warehouse, every bar, every criminal underground safe house. We turned them all upside down and still we couldn't find them. How do you expect to find her?"

The computer terminal rang and Beast Boy said, "It's the police Commissioner."

"On screen," The two Gothamites commanded in unison. No one pointed out that they said it together.

"Yes, Commissioner?" Robin asked as soon as the man's face came on screen.

"Good evening, Robin, Titans…Batman." The Commissioner shifted in his seat and cleared his throat. "I believe we have a possible lead on Slade, an accomplice we captured just a few hours ago."

"Was it a girl with black hair?"

The Commissioner raised a brow but shook his head. "No, an old English man. We believe him to be William Wintergreen."

Robin's eyes were the size of saucers. "Wintergreen?"

The Commissioner nodded. "We attempted to interrogate him, but he refused to talk to us at all. I thought you might have better luck."

Robin nodded and said, "We'll have to call you back, Commissioner. Thank you for the information." He nodded to Beast Boy and the transmission terminated.

"Who's William Wintergreen?" Batman asked, watching Robin pace the floor.

"Slade's butler."

"Since when does Slade have a butler?" Beast Boy asked, confused.

"Apparently, quite a while. He was there when I was Slade's apprentice-"

"Come again?" Batman intervened, but Robin ignored him. Then he remembered hearing something about this when Robin broke into Wayne Enterprises. He decided, grudgingly, to let the subject rest for the moment and listened to the rest of the conversation.

"-And Sara met him in Wyoming when we were kidnapped by Slade. Wintergreen's not all bad, but he does work with Slade. If anyone did know where to find him, it would be Wintergreen. The real problem is how to get him to talk. Wintergreen's a very loyal person and, from what I've seen, almost immune to intimidation."

"What makes you say that?" Cyborg asked.

"Well he does live with Slade all the time, and Sara almost fried him once for information. Not a peep. But I might be able to get something out of him… if I go alone. Wintergreen knows me. And who knows, this might just be Slade's way of getting our attention."

"Then we cannot let you go alone." Starfire objected. All eyes turned to her and she explained, "If this was purposeful, Slade will have a trap waiting for you. We have to be nearby to assist you if you need it."

"Agreed." Batman said, seemingly surprising Robin.

Robin considered them all for a moment. He sighed and replied, "Fine, but somewhere he can't see you. I shouldn't need help anyway."

Wintergreen

6:30 pm

Jump City Police Station

Interrogation Room

Wintergreen gazed around the small room, his eyes always coming back to the mirror. He knew it was actually a window, just like every other interrogation room. Even so, he couldn't help but feel isolated. Not that he didn't prefer it but, believe it or not, he was nervous. Slade's plan of sending him out like this was a little too obvious. Or so he thought anyway. The whole idea of revealing information to the Titans just to show off didn't seem like something Slade would do.

Just then, the door opened and Robin walked in. The boy plopped down on the chair across from him, but didn't bother to strike up a conversation. They sat in silence until Robin finally said, "Surprised to see you here, Wintergreen."

"I thought you and Batman were the detectives of the superheroes. Shouldn't you have figured that out by now?"

Robin frowned. "There could only be two reasons why you're here. One, both you and Slade are becoming too careless. Which, by the way is highly unlikely. Or two, you're here on purpose and either Slade or…" he paused. Will sensed apprehension behind his voice in revealing that sensitive information to the police. "And Slade will probably bust you out sometime soon." He shifted in his seat and looked straight at Wintergreen. "The question is why would he send you here?"

Will leaned back in his chair and contemplated how to put what he was supposed to tell the boy into words. Finally, he began, "Slade sends his regards. But he couldn't come himself-"

"Why? Too afraid he wouldn't be able to escape?"

Will chuckled dryly, though it wasn't funny. "Not at all. He had to stay at home with Sara."

Robin froze at the sound of Oriole's name. Obviously, he hadn't wanted the police involved but Wintergreen had to tell him so that he could get out of there. Ex-POW or no, jail still wasn't appealing. Robin's eyes narrowed. "Where is she?" He growled.

"That's not what I'm supposed to tell you." Wintergreen replied simply. Robin was trying to be intimidating, clearly, but it wasn't exactly working. "I'm supposed to tell you where they will be."

"Then tell me."

Wintergreen smiled. "That's the problem. I can't tell you because I don't know. But Slade did give me a disc he wanted you to have. Unfortunately, the police confiscated it from me. If you want to know what Sara has been doing these past two weeks, that disc is the thing you need."

Will honestly didn't like what Sara had been doing. Just like with Robin, Slade would hurt her any time she failed him or showed any trace of disloyalty. And, probably the reason why he let her out this early, there had been more cases of disloyalty than failure.

Slade

6:30 pm

Location Unknown

Speaking of disloyalty, Slade was having a small issue with Sara at that very moment. They were sparing in the gym, Sara down below while Slade was up in the rafters. He ordered her not to use her powers, and yet…

"Get back!" Slade dodged just before a fireball scorched the pipe he'd been using to balance himself.

Sara's eyes burned a dark green color, much darker than her usual emerald color.

"Sara, that's enough." Slade ordered, but he had to dodge again to avoid the flames.

"You've taken everything from me!" She screeched. The air grew hot and dry as Sara's anger fueled the flames. "I'm leaving, and you can't stop me!"

"Can't I?" He inwardly sighed at having to use this method yet again to control his apprentice, but he supposed he had no choice.

Sara's body froze as Slade's mind forced it to stop moving.

_Let me go, you son of a bitch!_ She screamed in thought.

Slade jumped down to the ground and stood directly in front of her. "Sara, you fail to realize that if you wouldn't keep disobeying me, I wouldn't have to resort to this."

_If you could've just let me go, you wouldn't have to deal with me._ She snapped.

Slade's eye narrowed and he brought his knee right into her stomach, allowing her to react however she wanted, but carefully keeping her from using her abilities. She held her stomach and her legs crumpled beneath her.

The girl slowly got to her feet and glared at Slade. "I won't let you do this anymore. I'm stronger than you. I've had my powers longer than you have. I can beat you."

"Then why haven't you done anything about it, I wonder?" Slade taunted. Earlier, he thought her defiance was…cute, for lack of a better word. Now though, it was just annoying.

Her eyes narrowed and her seemingly-permanent frown deepened into a scowl. She charged, her mind clawing at his as she did so. Slade dodged her punch, and brought his own to her cheek. Meanwhile, the battle raged inside his mind as Sara, surprisingly, was forcing him back. Though he hated to admit it, she was right. She was much stronger than he and always would be. The longer you controlled powers like theirs, the more energy you could produce. However, Slade had the upper-hand. They both knew that. So why was she doing this? He wondered for about two seconds before answering his own question: desperation.

Sara lashed out a kick at his middle, but he caught her foot. Her eyes widened and Slade brought her to the ground, his boot on her back. The child squirmed and Slade stepped on her back harder. She stopped moving, but the battle still wasn't won. Now that she wasn't distracted by fighting physically, she unleashed her powers on his mind.

But Slade wasn't finished yet. He electrocuted her body until finally, she succumbed to inevitability and surrendered. Under Slade's control, she stood up and listened to what he had to say, "There had better not be any problems like this out in the field. If you're not careful, it will get you killed. Never forget that."

Some small part of her acknowledged what he was saying, but she was too full of self-pity to actually say anything. Slade decided to let that go…for now.

"Now, are you ready to have some fun tonight?"

Robin

6:45 pm

Jump City Police Station

Robin left Wintergreen with the police and stepped out to have a word with the Commissioner.

"Where's the disc?"

"That's police evidence, Robin. I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you can't have it."

"Then we'll watch it here, but I'm warning you Commissioner: if I know anything about Slade, whatever's on that disc is more disturbing than any of your men have seen." Robin turned and left the room, the entire squad falling silent.

Robin met Batman and the Titans outside the interrogation room. "You heard everything?" Robin assumed, looking at Bruce.

The Dark Knight and Cyborg nodded. Bruce studied his ward, then asked, "Why did Wintergreen know Oriole as Sara? And why weren't you surprised?"

Robin didn't respond, acting as if Bruce hadn't said anything. "We need to find out what's on that disc." He paused and looked at each of his friends in turn. "Like I said to the Comissioner though, it won't be very pleasant. If any of you don't want to watch-"

"I believe I speak for all of us when I tell you that I wish to know what has happened to our friend, no matter how horrible." The Titans nodded in agreement.

"Robin," Robin turned to Bruce, knowing what Batman was about to say. "Does Slade know who you are?"

Robin shifted uncomfortably, but would definitely not allow Bruce to intimidate him in Jump City. It was his territory and Bruce would not screw that up for him. "You're the best detective in the world. I'm sure you already know the answer to that." He replied coldly. With a swish of his cape, he turned on the other heroes and asked one of the cops for the disc. The policeman lead the Titans and Batman down to the evidence room, only to find someone already watching it. Robin could only see the back of the cop's head, but her straight black hair felt so familiar. His eyes widened.

"Oriole?" The Titans filed in behind him to get a better look.

A low chuckle answered him. "Hey, Ro. What's up?" Sara turned, without a mask on, and smiled at them like a cat gazing at a canary under its paw. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to get here."

Robin opened his mouth to reply, but Batman cut in. "Sara, is that really you?"

A flash of an unreadable emotion spread across her face, but only for a split second. It disappeared, but Robin got the sense that Slade wasn't controlling her mind physically, but that he'd scared her into doing what he wanted. The smirk returned and she replied softly, "Of course, B. Who were you expecting?"

Batman and Robin exchanged looks.

"Friend you are uninjured, yes?" Starfire asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She replied, her eyes focused on her fellow Gothamites.

Batman stepped forward to see Slade's face on the TV screen, but then it was replaced with a map. Sara turned and pressed pause on the remote. "Oops, almost forgot about this thing. Really, Slade didn't have to make it. He just thought it would give the whole mission some flair." Her eyes turned to Robin. "I'm sure you remember how much Slade loves that."

"Sara, why are you here? Why did Slade send you here?"

She smiled. "Well let's ask him, shall we?" She turned back to the TV and pressed rewind, then play. She turned the volume up so that everyone could hear.

Slade's mask was on screen as he spoke to everyone."Hello Titans, Batman. I'm sure you're surprised to see Sara at the police station without being arrested, but we thought you might like to know what she's been up to. You can ask any questions, Sara will answer most of them, but this video is about Sara's mission tonight." A map of Jump City replaced Slade's mask again and Sara paused it.

"Speaking of, I'm supposed to let you ask five questions before we move on."

"Where is Slade?" Robin asked immediately.

She laughed. "You didn't really think Slade would make it that easy, did you?" She shook her head, giggling quietly. "Sorry, I'm not answering that one. Question two?"

"What happened to you?"

"You're going to have to be a little more specific, B."

"Why are you on his side?"

"That's a dpfferent question entirely-" She cut off and listened to something intently. Only then did Robin spot the comm-link in her ear. When she finally looked up again, she said, "Sorry everyone. We're out of time." She again clicked play and Slade's voice continued.

"You will notice that she has two targets tonight. The slums of Jump City, and Jump City's police station. I suggest you leave that building now, if you can." A countdown appeared on the screen, counting down from thirty seconds.

Sara smiled and took out a small detonator. "Better hurry."

"We have to evacuate the building!"

"Oh, don't worry about that. No one will listen to you. They're all under my control." Sara purred. Yet her smile was slightly strained, like it was fake.

Everyone left to go help the police evacuate. True to her word, all of the police looked blank. But Robin noticed that the interrogation room was empty. He returned to Sara, only to find her gone too. The countdown on the TV read, "0:12."

Robin swore and called to the others over the communicator, "Everyone out! We don't have much time left!"

"But the men of police are still in the building. We cannot leave them behind."

"Get them close to me. I can protect them." Raven interjected.

The six heroes scrambled to move the cops to the mess hall, where there would be room for everyone. It took half of their time, but finally everyone was in the mess hall. The police still stared blankly ahead, not responding to anything they did. Raven stood in the middle of it all, meditating.

"Raven," Robin called. Raven opened her eyes to look at him. "Are you sure you can do this?"

Raven nodded. "It might take a lot out of me, but I'll be okay." Without another word, Raven raised her hands over her head, whispering her incantation below her breath, and encased the mess hall in a black shield.

The brilliant light and the bright color of the flames blinded Robin, and the sound thundered in his ears. Someone screamed, others yelling in surprise, but Robin only heard Sara's soft voice in the back of his head. _Thank you. I didn't want to hurt anyone, but I didn't have a choice. So thanks for saving them from me._ And then she was gone like a whisper in the wind.

**Author's Note: **I know it's kinda odd for him to be worrying about Sara in an explosion, but in my mind Robin trusts Raven enough to not worry about the explosion at all. And besides, if my little sister was with Slade…well I would worry about her no matter what happened.

Anyway, please review. No one's reviewed in a while and it's starting to worry me. Have a great day. REVIEW!


	39. Vignette 2: Adventure Gone Wrong

**Disclaimer:** *Checking for ownership papers…* *Sigh* Nope, still don't own Teen Titans.

**Author's Note:** Okay, I know I just posted a chapter, but I came up with a small, sad little vignette, and I said I'd be doing more, so here you go. Enjoy!

Oriole

Vignette 2: Adventure Gone Wrong

Oriole

7:00 pm

Jump City Police Station

Sara sat on the ledge of an apartment building across from the now-burning police station. She heard the sirens blaring as the fire trucks flew down the road to extinguish the flames. The thought of anyone in that awful explosion tugged at her heart, but at least everyone was safe. _No thanks to me_, she thought sourly. Her eyes spotted a few firemen preparing to go into the flames. _It's useless. They're all safe_, Sara wanted to say. But she couldn't. Contacting Ro had been a risk. Communicating with firemen…well that wouldn't earn any points. She searched the crowd of people and noticed Wintergreen getting into a small car. He looked up at her and put a hand to his ear.

"I suppose I should thank you for retrieving me, Sara."

Sara snorted. "It wasn't by choice." She paused. "But you're welcome."

Wintergreen shut the door of the car, and the vehicle drove away. Her eyes focused back onto the burning building. The firemen ran into the police station, gas masks on and everything. She spotted a hint of Raven's dark energy shield near the evidence room, which apparently was the mess hall. When her comm-link turned on, she sighed and put a hand to her ear. "Yes?"

"Why haven't you come back?" Slade asked, obviously trying to stay calm.

She rolled her eyes. "Chill, I'm just watching the fireworks. I'll be back when the fire's gone."

"I told you to return immediately."

"Yeah, but I thought you wanted me to make sure Robin was okay. I still don't know. God forbid your precious apprentice is hurt, right?" She returned bitterly. There was a pause on Slade's end. Sara laughed ironically. "Can't find a reason for me to come back now, can you?"

"Watch your tone, young lady."

She chuckled. "Or what?"

"Do you really want to find out?"

She shrugged. Then, remembering that Slade couldn't see her, she replied coolly, "Whatever."

Slade said nothing.

Sara sighed. She remembered when she first took on the cape and cowl. It was all supposed to be one big adventure, having fun. Now? Now, it wasn't. Her entire life, she'd been having nightmares about the man in the black boots. And now, after all these years, she found him and could do nothing about the fact that he murdered her parents. Now she was in Jump City and…wait. Wait a second.

Sara slapped her forehead as realization hit her like a splash of cold water on her face. She remembered receiving a letter from her cousin just before Slade killed him. He'd been staying in Jump City for a night or two on his way to Sacramento. That must have been what brought Slade back to Jump City in the first place. Then, when she heard about his death, she read that they found his body just outside of Jump City at some carnival. Slade must have decided that he liked Jump or something. Then, when he noticed Robin…everything clicked together in Sara's mind. In the end, all of it could be traced back to her. If she'd told her cousin that he should stay in Gotham, maybe none of this would've happened. If she hadn't been so afraid of what her cousin would think when he figured out (and he would've been a complete moron to not figure it out) that she was Oriole, Slade never would've killed him. He never would've stayed in Jump, never would've tricked Sara, and she never would've found out that he killed her parents.

But…then why didn't Slade have his powers up until now? She thought hard about it for a second and then she remembered a video chat she had with Robin. Sara had been having a bad day and jokingly asked Robin if he wanted her powers. Then they started talking about power transferring with abilities like Sara's. The way the conversation ended was, just after she finished explaining how to activate transferred powers, a virus that infected Robin's laptop. It must have been Slade.

Sara pressed her fist against her head as tears surfaced. _It's all my fault._

Finally, the fire was extinguished and people filed out of what was left of Jump City's police station. Needless to say, it was a pile of rubble and smoke. Four of the Titans were talking with the fireman while the two Gothamites were talking amongst themselves. Raven leaned against Starfire for support. Considering she'd just protected the entire police squad from an explosion, Sara was surprised she wasn't unconscious. The others looked okay, just shaken.

Sara looked up at the moon. It was long after the sunset. Looking back at her fellow Gothamites, she noticed that Bruce seemed to blend into the darkness like a shadow. Robin, on the other hand, stuck out like a sore thumb with his bright, flamboyant colors. Suddenly, Bruce turned. For a split second, Sara knew that they saw her. Then, Robin proved it. He held up his hand, and waved slightly. Sara tuned into his thoughts.

_Come back. We can help you._

Sara's eyes filled with grief. _No, Robin. You can't._

With that, she got to her feet, held up her hand, and waved back. _Goodbye._ She felt Robin and Batman's eyes on her as she turned and left.

**Author's Note:** Goodbye? Is she giving up? She can't give up! Tune in next week to find out what happens to Oriole. See ya' then! PLEASE REVIEW!


	40. Chapter 37: Success or Failure?

Oriole

Chapter 37: Success or Failure?

Oriole

8:00 pm

Location Unknown

When Sara finally returned, Slade was watching video feeds of her performance at the police station. Sara scowled at the sight of them. It was a taunt, telling her that she could no longer do anything that she wanted to. The sick thing was, that smile looked real on her face, and that cold cruelty looked familiar. What was even worse, it felt familiar. She even enjoyed it.

"Well done, my dear. You see? You remember how to-"

"Don't tell me it was a good job." She snapped and began to walk away to her room, but Slade's voice stopped her.

"Sara." She halted grudgingly, but didn't turn around. Slade came towards her and Sara had to tense up her muscles so that she wouldn't run. Slade turned and towered above her. "Why can't you just accept this life? You have once before."

The question caught her off-guard. Was he serious? Was he really confused about the why? No, he couldn't be…could he? "Why can't I accept being a murderer?" She laughed humorlessly. "Gee, I don't know Slade. Since you seem to know people so well, why don't you tell me?"

Slade seemed happy to oblige, "Perhaps because of Wayne-"

Throwing up her hands in exasperation, she again tried to leave to her room, "Oh, because everything is Bruce's fault!"

Slade caught her arm. "Don't you dare turn your back on me, young lady."

Sara pushed him away and glowered up at him. "Or what?"

Slade's eye narrowed and suddenly, Sara felt very afraid. She knew now how dangerous Slade could be. Finally, Slade hissed, "Do you really want to start this again? I was trying to pay you a compliment. I couldn't have done better myself."

Sara said nothing. Normally she would've retorted something snarky, but at that moment she was truly scared of Slade. Slade waited expectantly for her to say something. To avoid getting into more trouble, Sara replied, "Thank you…sir."

Slade nodded and stepped out of the way from the door. "Get some rest. We have a big night tonight."

Sara wanted to ask what he meant but was a little afraid of what the answer might be. What if he expected her to kill Bruce? Pushing the thought away, Sara passed Slade and walked as calmly as she could to her room. Slade's eye followed her the entire way.

Sara slipped into her small cell-like bedroom and flopped on the bed, not even bothering to kick her shoes off. But, though she was exhausted, sleep didn't come. Her heart was still racing and her thoughts still remembering her first mission as Slade's apprentice. It went as planned and, however much she hated to admit it, she had done well, very well.

Sara sighed and rolled onto her side, laying her head on her outstretched arm. She thought back to when she watched the Titans from the rooftop. The look on Robin's face…she let out another sigh and closed her eyes. And suddenly, she felt very tired. Her eyelids drooped shut and Sara fell asleep with nightmares of her "successful mission" dancing in her head.

Starfire

6:00 am

Titans Tower

Starfire lay wide awake in her bed. She hadn't slept much. Every time she tried, images of that cold, calculating look in Oriole's eyes shocked her awake. She remembered Oriole as an innocent, reckless, kind hero and a friend. But a look like that did not belong in such an innocent face. Finally she gave up on sleep and just lay in her bed, listening to Silky's snoring.

A storm was brewing outside. Dark clouds swirled over an increasingly restless ocean. Huh. Well that fit the situation perfectly. All at once, she loathed the storm, the clouds, the dark water, everything and anything that was remotely black and dark and empty…like that look in Oriole's eyes.

Finally, Starfire was sick of her lightless room and flicked on her lamp. Silky squeaked in his sleep and Starfire immediately turned it back off. Sighing, she slipped on her boots, brushed her hair, and floated out of the room.

Then she bumped into Robin. "Sorry!" They both said at the same time. Normally they would've laughed, but the mood both outside and inside the Tower just didn't fit for laughter.

Robin studied the bags under Starfire's eyes. "Couldn't sleep?"

Starfire nodded. But she also noticed that he seemed a little tired. "And you have had the mares of night also, yes?"

Robin said nothing for a moment, but then he slowly nodded.

"I am sorry."

He shrugged. "I'll be fine. This isn't the first time this has happened. …And I'm sorry you've been having nightmares about it. Don't worry. She'll be fine."

But the look on Robin's face told her that he was also trying to convince himself about that. She didn't point it out though. Instead she queried, "Oriole has been forced to be a criminal before? Why did you not tell us?"

Another shrug. "It wasn't so much as forced rather than tricked. It was before I knew her. I've heard stories before."

"Like what?"

Robin shook his head. "It's not important. Besides, it doesn't help anyone knowing."

"But you know. And you are worried. Please, tell me. You do not have to bear this knowledge alone."

"Star, it's nothing okay? Come on, Raven made a new tea and I wanted to try it." Robin turned and almost ran away to the commons area.

Starfire sighed and floated after him. But a voice stopped her, _Star? Can you hear me?_

She turned about but she could not find the source of the voice. "Hello? Please, who is speaking?"

_I'm not exactly speaking._

"Oriole! Friend, where have you-"

_Shh! Keep your voice down! There's a reason why I waited to say hi after Ro left._

Starfire lowered her voice and whispered, "You should not have left. Robin has been most…distant."

_I know, I know. But I didn't exactly have a choice. Listen, I need you to call Batman and tell him where I am. Could you do that for me?_

"I am willing, but why do you not ask yourself? If you are speaking to me, can you not speak with him?"

_Slade might find out. He might make me attack B. I don't want to hurt anyone._

"But you are risking communicating with me?"

_He's not after you. If I talk to you, he won't care as much._

"Very well. Oriole, where are you?"

_…I'm pretty sure we're at the Haunt._

"But we have looked there."

_I know. I heard you. There's a secret access way. Ro should know about it._

"I will ask him-"

_No! Slade's after him, remember? I don't want him to get hurt._

"He would not wish for me to keep this information secret. You are his sister. I can understand why he may be worried."

_I don't care how he feels, I care if he's safe or not. Star, please, don't tell him…I have to go. Someone's coming. But Star, please, just don't tell okay? I'll contact you later if I can. Be safe._ And with that, Oriole broke off communication.

Robin

6:10 am

Titans Tower

Robin took sips of the herbal tea Raven made and tried to keep up with his light conversation with her. "So how did you sleep?"

She shrugged. "With everyone having nightmares, it's hard to sleep well."

"Everyone?" Robin asked cautiously.

Raven nodded. "Everyone besides Beast Boy, but he doesn't usually dream so that's no surprise. And when he does, their always either about girls or animals…or about meat. He really misses the taste of actual meat."

Robin laughed, but it fell flat past the lump in his throat. "Seriously? That's hilarious!"

The ghost of a smile twitched on her lips. "It's the only time he's ever actually funny."

Robin chuckled. Just then, Starfire floated in. She looked a little off today for some reason. Maybe it was just the nightmares. Raven passed her a cup of tea and Starfire, instead of adding random ingredients as usual, merely stirred it around with her teaspoon.

Raven cocked an eyebrow and asked her, "Is everything okay?"

Starfire looked up as if distracted from an important thought. "I am sorry?"

"Are you alright, Star? You seem different today."

"I am merely concerned for our friend."

Raven and Robin exchanged glances. They both knew this was only partially the truth. Something in her voice affirmed it. "Are you sure there isn't more to it than that?" Robin asked softly.

She hung her head. "I am…not at liberty to tell you, Robin."

"What? Why?"

Biting her lip, she looked back down at her tea.

Robin almost automatically knew what had happened. "Sara contacted you, didn't she? She told you not to say anything to me, right?"

Slowly, Starfire nodded. "I am sorry. I wish to tell you, but Oriole specifically asked that I tell Batman and not you."

"Why?"

"To keep you out of harm."

Robin sighed. "She has to stop trying to protect me." He muttered, more to himself than anyone else. Returning his gaze to Starfire, Robin asked, "What did she tell you?"

Starfire hesitated before finally revealing, "Her location."

"What? Why didn't you say something earlier? We could've woken the others by now. And Sara needs our help. Star, I don't care what she tells you. She's scared and confused."

"And you are not?" Starfire pointed out.

She was right, as usual. But the words still hurt. Yeah he was scared. Yeah he was confused. But having them stated out loud by his girlfriend didn't help his ego. "That's not the point." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I'm worried about her, I admit it. But I'm not about to sacrifice myself…not yet."

"Are you saying you would?" Starfire asked, alarmed. Even Raven also looked worried.

"If I had to. If I had no other choice."

"You always have a choice." Star snapped. Her eyes softened. "I understand if you are concerned for her, but there is nothing we can do."

"That's not true! I could do something! I could turn myself in!"

"Robin do you really think he would let her go, even if you did surrender?" Did Raven always know what to say? She may not speak up much, but when she did you'd be an idiot not to listen.

Robin said nothing. He looked from Starfire to Raven, then back again. Heaving a sigh, he muttered, "Fine. But I need to know where she is. It'll ease my conscious."

How he hated lying to either of them, but he had to. Like he said once a long time ago to Sara, he would always be there for her. She was the closest thing he had to a sister and he wasn't about to lose her to Slade.

When Starfire finally told him what Sara told her, he almost slapped himself for not thinking about it sooner. The girls waited in silence as he mulled over the information Starfire provided. After a while, he went over to the computer terminal and opened his email.

Sure enough, there was a message. Only it wasn't from whom he'd expected.

_Robin,_

_ I'm sure Sara's performance last night has proved to you that she is now fully under my control._

Fully, huh? Then why did she contact me without you knowing? Robin wondered and continued reading. He sensed both girls reading the email over his shoulder.

_Sara may have potential, but she is nothing compared to what potential I see in you. Come to the old Haunt at seven o'clock in the morning_ _or I'll send Sara on a new mission that will cripple the company you grew up in. I suggest you come to my little meeting. Sara's aim has improved immensely over the past two weeks._

"Robin, how did you know this message would be here?" Raven asked in her usual dry voice.

"I didn't. It was a guess."

He checked the time on the monitor. 6:30 am. He didn't have much time.

"You are not going to meet him alone, yes? You will allow us to accompany you?"

Robin nodded. "Raven, wake the others would you? I need to call Batman and tell him what's going on."

Let the games begin, Slade. Let the games begin.


	41. Chapter 38: Innocence

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Teen Titans.

**Author's Note:** Hello again everyone! I'm not dead! I am sincerely sorry at the lack of posts I have done this month and I appreciate you guys staying with me. I've been busy and without inspiration. But now I'm on spring break (early, I know, it really sucks) and had enough time to write this. Enjoy! Please review!

Oriole

Chapter 38: Innocence

Sara

6:55 am

The Haunt

Everything was going exactly as he planned. Sara couldn't have acted any better when she contacted the Tamaranian. She could hear the smile in Slade's voice. "Well done, my dear. You've done well."

"Yet you're still planning on…ugh, whatever." _Shut up, Sara. He can't know what you know._

Slade stood over her and glared. Sara resisted the urge to shrink under that gaze. "What exactly are you referring to, young lady?"

Sara pursed her lips. _Better think fast._ "Nothing. Never mind. I wouldn't want to ruin your gloating."

Gotta get away. Have to run. Somehow. Gotta get out of here.

"Sara," he snapped. Sara turned to him, startled by his suddenly harsh tone. "Now is not the time for escaping. This is a very important day."

How in hell did he know? "Important for you, maybe." Sara grumbled. She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against a rusty gear, not caring if dust clung to her almost all black outfit. Almost all black, because of the orange insignia on her armbands and belt.

Slade pretended not to hear her. Normally he would've reacted. But today was special. He checked his watch. Sara rolled her eyes. Gotta be oh so punctual don't you, Slade? "Sara, get into position."

Grudgingly, Sara scuttled away to her designated hiding place. Slade, meanwhile, sat down in his old throne-like seat. Again, he checked his watch. Sara rolled her eyes again and turned her attention to the door.

As Slade predicted, Robin was right on time. Slade's plan was perfect. If she did everything as she was supposed to, Robin would find himself in a world of nothing but grief. Keeping her thoughts carefully severed from Slade's, she asked herself, _So what're you gonna do about it, Sara? Figure something out._

"All right, I'm here. What do you want?" Robin growled, his eyes on Slade.

Sara watched him approach Slade's throne-like chair in the center of the room. She frowned. Something was wrong, different. But she couldn't quite place it.

"Now, now, Robin, where are your manners? A simple "How are you?" would suffice." Sara actually face-palmed at that line. Damn, he was such a jerk.

"I have places to be today." Robin snapped.

Like where? Sara wondered.

"Do you? I'm sure Sara would be very interested in that."

"Oriole," ah, of course he didn't like Slade using her real name, even though he should've been used to it by now, "would usually be around for me to tell her about it. But you made sure that she's not around anymore. Where is she?"

"Well let's call her down and find out. Sara, come down."

Sara jumped down from her perch on a broken support beam above and landed right next to Slade. She felt his anger; after all she did disobey him. She was supposed to attack Robin.

_You're not earning any brownie points by disobeying me._ He thought to her.

_What makes you think I want to?_ She snapped, not even flicking her eyes to him or doing anything physically to acknowledge him.

_I'll deal with you later._

_ Oh how I look forward to it._ Ha! That would set him off.

_Sarcasm in thought?_ He thought to himself. Slade decided to get Sara to teach him how to do that later.

_Years of practice._ She almost laughed.

_Stop listening to my thoughts._

_ Then stop broadcasting them._

Still, she didn't acknowledge him. Slade acted as if the previous conversation hadn't occurred and said to Robin, "I'm not all bad, Robin. I'll let you speak with her. For a limited time only, unfortunately. She must go back to her training."

Sara looked back at him for the first time, glaring at him. _Training? Nice cover. More like punishments._

_Say anything to Robin and I'll make you wish you were never born._

_ I already do._ And with that, she broke off contact. Secretly she thought, _How do I talk to Ro without Slade suspecting anything? …Oh how gives a damn if he suspects anything! I have to warn him!_

"I suppose you have to be around while we're talking right?" Robin snapped.

"Well you brought your friends. It's only fair."

Robin glowered at him. Sara closed her eyes in disappointment. He just always had to know, didn't he? "For future reference, it's practically impossible to sneak up on a telepath. You should have learned that already from Sara."

"I've sneaked up on her once or twice."

Robin then turned to Sara. But she stared straight ahead, ignoring both him and Slade.

Hesitantly, Sara felt his mind open just a little bit and she heard Robin's thoughts beckoning her. Slade rushed to the break in his psychic barrier. But something blocked him. He couldn't identify who or what it was, but Slade bet it was Sara. Her eyes glowed dully, growing brighter as his consciousness reached out for Robin's. But that was only because Sara too was attempting to read his mind.

_Sara, let me through._

Sara felt confused. _Let you through where? What did I do wrong? _She knew exactly what he was talking about, of course. But it would serve to piss him off, and that she enjoyed.

Slade paused. Then he figured it out. _Sara, we have visitors. Kindly take care of them._

Sara stretched out tendrils of her mind, seeking the "visitors" Slade spoke of. When she found them, she shivered in fear of what Slade wanted her to do. _But that's Raven._

_Is that a problem?_

Sara cut off her thoughts for a brief moment. She hated him. But she honestly had no choice. Maybe there was still hope. There must be. She replied softly, _No. No it's not. But if you think Robin will let me go anywhere right now, you're sadly mistaken._

_Very well. I'll go then._

"No!" She yelled aloud.

Robin raised an eyebrow. Slade's eye narrowed at her. Sara shrank away. Then she rolled her shoulders and stood as tall and confident as she could. "I want to talk to him. Alone."

Robin

7:05 am

The Haunt

"I want to talk to him. Alone." The words rang in his ears. He almost laughed at her audacity. She did realize who she was talking to right? To his amazement, Slade, after a moment of deep thought, nodded. Finally, Slade stood and walked away. Before Robin could see where Slade was going, Sara took him by the arm and they walked close to the door. Robin almost thought she would try to escape, but then she stopped and turned to him.

Despite the past two weeks she'd spent learning how to kill with Slade, or perhaps because of it, he wrapped his arms about her in a hug. He clutched onto her tightly, as if his hug could relieve her off all the pent-up emotions he could practically feel rolling off her like waves towards a beach. But Sara didn't hug back. Finally, he broke away from her. "Are you okay?" He looked at every line on her face, every inch of it. "Did he hurt you?" He circled her then, searching for any bruises or blood stains.

Sara pushed him away. "Will you quit it? I'm fine."

That harsh voice…she'd never used that voice on him. Never. "Sara…are you alright?"

"I already answered that," she snapped in the same harsh voice. But then she softened, if only slightly. "Listen to me; we don't have much time."

He nodded. "You're right. You can explain everything back at the Tower." Robin turned to leave, but she caught his arm.

"I'm not leaving, Ro."

Robin gawked at her, did a double take, then stared with wide, shocked eyes. Finally, after he rediscovered his voice, he managed to say, "What?"

"If you would let me talk, I could've said that differently." She sounded annoyed with him.

"What other way is there to say it?" When she hesitated, realization slapped him in the face. "Slade's telling you to say this isn't he?"

She threw up her arms in exasperation. "How convenient it must be to make Slade the cause of everything bad in the world! Look, I'm trying to tell you-"

Robin cut her off hurriedly, not wanting to hear the words a second time. "No! You're not staying here. Not with Slade. You're coming home. End of story."

"Will you let me explain!" She shouted. Blowing off steam with a sigh, she began, "I can't go with you Ro."

"Why? Because of Slade?" He understood. She was scared. But Sara would hate him if he pointed that out. So he instead stated, "I don't care about what you did, Sair. We can protect you-"

"Stop. Listen to me!" This time, if reluctantly, Robin shut his mouth to listen. "I'm not leaving. I can't and I won't."

"But why?" He asked, horrified that those words came out of her mouth.

"Because it's dangerous."

"Because Slade's still controlling you?"

"Quit jumping to conclusions!" She snapped. "And grow up. After two weeks, we've gotten past the whole body-snatching thing. Except he was tempted when I contacted Starfire-"

"That was Slade?" Robin exclaimed in horror. To think that Slade was in his girlfriend's head…his fists clenched.

Sara shrugged, as if it wasn't a big deal. "No. That was just me. But it was his idea. You didn't check your email last night, like usual. We had to find something to get your attention."

"How can you say that so nonchalantly?" He balked.

"It is how it is, Ro. Personally, I didn't want you to come-"

"Then why help him!"

She ignored him as if he hadn't said anything. "-but Slade always gets his way." A flicker of fear aroused in her eyes, which she quickly buried.

Concern for his sister swept through him. "He hurt you?"

Sara shook her head.

"Then what did he do to you?"

She sighed heavily, looking down at her toes. Finally she peered up at him and murmured in a small voice, "Everyone has a weak spot. And he found mine."

"Gotham?"

She shook her head, telling him exactly what had happened in just one syllable. "You."

"He's already blackmailing me."

She nodded. "Exactly. I'm trying to convince him to leave you alone."

Robin snorted. "Good luck with that."

"It would be impossible," she agreed, "unless he has a replacement."

The reality of what Sara was saying came crashing down around him. "No."

"I don't want you anywhere near Slade. You're better than that." She gave him a half-smile, trying to be reassuring. But she was failing at it miserably.

He took her hands in his. "So are you."

Sara shook her head again. "No, I'm not. You don't belong with Slade. Whatever your similarities, you and he are nothing alike."

"You don't belong here either." Truth. Absolutely, positively the truth. There was no way he was letting Sara take his place. Not even if hell froze over.

"You've never taken a life, Ro. That's where your similarities with Slade end. You've never belonged here, and somewhere deep down Slade knows that just as much as I do. Please, stop trying to save me. This has been my future ever since I killed Tiang."

"One person doesn't determine your fate, Sair. Especially when you're just a kid."

"Then what does? Five? Ten? A hundred? A thousand? How many people do I have to kill before you see the truth?"

Frowning, Robin crossed his arms over his chest. "And what truth is that?" He challenged.

She cast him a knowing smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "That killing people is much more scarring that most people know. I don't want you finding that out firsthand."

"Sara-"

"No, you need to hear this. The first time you kill someone is permanently etched into your skull. You see it every single time you close your eyes. If you try to ignore it, you get the worst headaches imaginable. And the nightmares…they get worse each time you experience it. Until one day it becomes so unbearable, I've wanted to kill myself."

Robin honestly didn't know what to say. Where was this coming from? She'd never told him anything like this before. Ever. She must've been scared if she was telling him something like this.

"The moral of the story: keep your innocence for as long as you can. Otherwise you'll remember what you did every moment of your life and it'll haunt you forever."

Robin gulped, silently to avoid arousing Sara, and asked in a, regrettably, shaking voice. "How do assassins cope?"

To that she actually laughed. "You mean it isn't obvious? Simple. To cope with killing one person, you have to kill another." At Robin's wide eyes, she chuckled. "What, you think Bruce's no kill policy is just for morals? You think he hasn't been so close to breaking that line so many times? You think that he doesn't know what could happen?"

"Of-of course he does." He stuttered, truly frightened now. The idea that she'd been tempted to kill, just to end her own pain…How long had this been plaguing her? Or, better question, why had she been keeping this buried deep within her? Even better question, was this all just a hoax to get him to leave?

"Yeah, he does. That's why he doesn't trust me as much as he trusts you out in the field. I've had a lot of practice, but he'll never fully trust me in a fight."

"That's not true-"

"Don't start." Suddenly, she looked around apprehensively. Then she gave him a gentle nudge towards the entrance of the Haunt. "Listen. Slade's going after the Titans. You need to take me down."

"What?" He asked incredulously. Did she really think Robin was capable of hurting her?

"Just for show. I heal easy. Please, I don't want the others to get hurt."

"But Sara…I can't just leave you here."

She scowled at him. "Haven't you been listening? I don't want to go." That's when they heard the scream.

Robin knew that voice in a heartbeat. "Starfire!"

Sara took off before Robin even spoke Star's name. Robin followed her and spotted Starfire on the ground at Slade's feet, writhing in pain. The others lay sprawled near her, either unconscious or fallen prey to Slade's telepathic abilities. He ran towards Slade with a wild yell, Sara ahead of him and halfway in between her transformation into a wolf. She leaped into the air and dug her claws into Slade's shoulders.

Slade shook her off, his eye gleaming furiously with anger. Robin took out his bo-staff and slammed it into Slade's side. But the mercenary caught it first and swung Robin to land on top of Sara, still as a wolf. Dazed, Robin got to his feet slowly. Sara shook her pelt and circled around Slade, her growls becoming deafening.

Finally, Sara halted near Starfire. Her eyes flicked to Robin and almost immediately he got the message. But why wouldn't she contact him? Raven slowly got to her feet behind Sara, and just as Robin felt an unfamiliar presence in his mind, Raven engulfed his consciousness in a simple, yet powerful shield. Meanwhile, as Robin and Raven faced off Slade in a psychic battle, Sara changed back into a human and activated her healing powers. Slade turned to her and, with one powerful swipe, knocked her away from Starfire.

Sara impacted with the wall and fell to the floor in a heap of limbs. Robin charged at him again, aiming a kick at Slade's middle. Slade caught him and threw him into Raven. Both teens were knocked to the ground. As Robin helped the empath stand, Slade's fists crackled as lightning curled around his knuckles.

"No!" Before anyone else could react, Sara threw herself in the way and blocked Slade's attack with an emerald green shield. She countered with a fireball thrown at him, but Slade deflected it with a bolt of electricity. She ran straight at him and caught Slade's hands in her own. Electricity sizzled, fire hummed to life, and the two elements battled it out as their masters tried to gain dominance over the other.

Robin stepped forward to help, but Sara's shield stopped him. "No! Get out of here! Go!" She screamed at him.

Raven was at his side then. She tugged at his arm and when Robin turned to her, she shook her head. "There's nothing we can do. Come on."

"No, we have to help."

"Robin, we can't help. Not while we're protecting the others. We have to go. Now."

Robin stared helplessly at her, then turned back to Sara. "You haven't convinced me of anything you know!"

Sara nodded slowly, and was that tears he spotted? "I know. Now go!"

Slade released one of Sara's hands and his fist connected with her cheek. Sara flopped to the ground like a ragdoll, and her shield flickered. As Slade pounced like a cat after a mouse, Sara reached out a hand to him and shouted, "Run! I'll hold him off!"

Robin scooped Starfire into his arms, Raven levitated the two boys on a small disc of dark energy and, reluctantly, the Titans fled. But Sara's screams chased after him.

Slade

7:15 am

The Haunt

Sara landed in a pathetic heap on her back. Slade stalked towards her, fury flashing in his single eye. Slade stomped a heavy boot onto her chest and pinned the girl to the ground.

"Slade stop!" She whimpered, fear in her dark green eyes.

"Are you afraid, Sara? Good. You're little performance just cost you." He pressed his foot harder into her chest. The girl gasped and tried to squirm away, but couldn't move.

"Remember that little mission I was going to have you do if Robin didn't show up?" He hissed, enjoying her misery.

Sara froze, knowing exactly where he was going with this. "Slade, please." She begged, her eyes growing wide in fear. She was afraid? Good.

"You're going to the Tower and you're going to find and kill Batman."

"No!" Her eyes flared with a brilliant green, gears lifted off the ground seemingly of their own accord and they simmered red hot.

Slade lost his focus for the fraction of a second, but that's all the time the girl needed to slip out from under Slade's boot and backhand his mask, her claw-like nails scratching deep into it. She started running towards the entrance, leaving the gears in his path.

Slade scowled. Stupid, stupid girl. He electrocuted the gears and controlled them in Sara's stead. Sara would sense this, he knew that. But strangely, she didn't fight back. Then he spotted the reason. The entrance was literally on fire. He could've shielded himself and walked straight through the flames. But that was a little too…orthodox. Therefore not as amusing.

So he whispered a simple, but powerful, command. _Come back._

_ Please. Don't ask me to-_

_ You brought this on yourself._ Then he commanded more firmly, _Come here._

After a few moments, he heard light footsteps approaching. Sara lowered the flames surrounding the entrance and stood before him, head hung in misery.

"That's my girl. Now, tell me your mission."

"No," she breathed, her voice scarcely loud enough to hear.

"Sara. You're already in trouble. Don't make things worse for yourself."

Her hands balled into fists at her sides. "I said no. You can't make me. And you can't keep this up forever."

"Can't I?" Slade chuckled. How silly of her. Challenging him like this was very foolish. He backhanded her across the face. Sara's knees buckled beneath her and she clutched the red handprint on her cheek. Slade pulled her up by the arm and glared straight into her eyes. He was aware of Wintergreen's disapproving look on his back but ignored it. Will had to learn to not pity a seemingly harmless girl that was indeed all too dangerous. "I take that as a challenge." He hissed to the girl.

She stared back at him with terror in her bright green eyes. But a flicker of defiance still existed. "I don't care," a gulp suggested just the opposite of that, Sara, "what you do to me. But leave the Titans and Batman out of this.

Slade's eye narrowed. He clapped a hand to the back of her neck and hurled her into a pile of gears. Sara gasped as her head slammed into a cog and she fell to her hands and knees. Slade stalked towards her and brought his boot into her face. She flew up and landed on her back with a groan.

Slade towered over his apprentice. Tears flowed down her cheeks, but she repressed the chokes and sobs. Though Slade hardly knew her, he did know that Sara hardly ever cried. Perhaps he had been harsh…but it was necessary. It was long since past time for her to accept who she was. Slade turned and headed for the door, intending to find Wintergreen and have him tend to her wounds, but her choked voice stopped him.

"I won't do it." Slade turned. She looked up at him, light reflecting off her wet face. "I won't hurt them."

Slade stalked back, anger flashing in his eye. She didn't try to run or move away. She only continued to look up at him defiantly. Brave girl. Not too bright though.

"You can't make me do anything."

Slade reached down and lifted her up by the front of her shirt. "That was a very poor choice of words." He hissed. His eye gilded over with copper, reaching out to her mind. In her weakened state (both physical and mental), she didn't stand a chance and she knew it, but Sara fought back anyway.

But then Sara got to her feet, even though Slade was trying to keep her down. Her eyes narrowed at him, fury glittering threateningly. "You can't control me. Not ever again!" Fire waved from her body, flying straight at Slade. Slade blocked with his copper-colored shield and tried to figure out what to do.

No wonder Sara had been doing what he wanted all this time (up until now). She was trying to hide from him that she figured out how to block him. Though he could have used his electric powers to give him the edge he needed, he knew what he could do to stop this once and for all. "There are many methods of control, my dear. And thought I preferred not to have to do this, you've forced my hand."

He felt the girl's horror as his presence in her mind began devouring and erasing her memories. First her early childhood, then her years as an assassin with Coleman.

"No," the girl whispered. Horrified and with nothing else to do, she hurled a fireball at him. But her desperation snuffed out the flame like a bucket of water over a candle. Panic ate away at her logic as she screamed, "No! Please Slade, no! I'm sorry. I promise I'll be good! Please! STOP!"

"You brought this on yourself, my dear."

Now the memories of how she met Robin and Batman were gone, how this all began. Finally, Slade knocked her unconscious with a blow to her temple. She fell limp into his arms, her eyes moving underneath her eyelids.

"Slade, is this really necessary?" Wintergreen grumbled as he approached.

"Unfortunately it is. Take her to her room and clean her up. I have more pressing issues than an amnesiac teenager." With that, Slade handed the identity-less child to Wintergreen and walked out of the room.

Sara would awake tomorrow with no memory about anything but being an assassin. Slade smiled at the thought. She would be the perfect mercenary.

**Author's Note:** Isn't it now kind of ironic I called this chapter "Innocence"? And doesn't it rock that this was longer than usual! I wanted to give you guys a good chapter about this part, because it is VERY important. I wanted to portray the assassin traits that are reappearing in Sara as the two weeks with Slade have taken their tolls. And I think I've done that. Don't worry; it's only going to get more awesome from here. Tune in next week! (I hope :/)


	42. Chapter 39: Well Done

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Teen Titans.

**Author's Note:** Let's see, where did we last leave off? Oh yeah, Slade wiped Sara's memory**. **In case any of you were wondering, I did intend to go this direction the entire time. So, I bet you wanna stop reading what I have to say and get back to the story? Be my guest. But be warned, things can still go downhill from here.

Oriole

Chapter 39: Well Done

Sara

3:00 pm

The Haunt

Sara laughed as she ducked a blow to her shoulder. She danced around Slade and pulled herself up to balance precariously on a support beam. She stuck out her tongue like a little kid. "Come on, Slade! I know you can do better than-"

She was cut off as a bola entangled her legs and sent her tumbling to the floor. Giggling, her hands fumbled with the bola, trying to free herself. Then a snap sounded and a paintball splattered on her vest right over her heart.

"Dead." Slade announced, pulled the paintball vest up and over his head. "That's four points for me and five for you. Are you even trying anymore Sara?"

Slade offered her a hand and Sara took it as she laughed, "Do you really expect me to?" When she was up on her feet, she pulled at Slade's arm and pleaded, "Please, Slade! I've been cooped up ever since I woke up and that was three days ago! I could call Social Services to arrest you for keeping me prisoner here."

Slade rolled his eye. "I think I've done worse, in their minds."

"Then what's wrong with letting me go on a mission?"

"Because you'd get killed. Or Raven would wipe your memory again."

Sara frowned. "That's what you're worried about? Please. Give me some credit. I got away didn't I?"

"But you still can't remember anything and as you've avidly pointed out, it's been three days."

"Will you quit worrying? I'm seventeen. I can handle myself in a fight. The Titans caught me off guard last time. It won't happen again. And even if it does, I know how to block Raven now. She won't wipe me clean again."

Slade considered her for a long time. Sara gave him her infamous look, making her eyes extra big and her lips extra pouty. He sighed and said, "Fine. But only if you win five to one against me."

Sara sighed exasperately. "But Slade!" She whined.

"Again." He commanded, handing Sara her paintball gun to her and pulling his paintball vest back on.

She lowered her glasses over her eyes and holstered her paint gun into the belt hanging on her waist. Sara freed a bow and arrows, with dull tips, from her pack and strung the bow. Though she'd once been a master with a gun, or so Slade said, she now found guns repulsive and preferred arrows. But she'd only ever used the dull tips. She couldn't understand why, but anything lethal frightened and disgusted her. Of course, she never told Slade that. In order to win five to one, she had to make twenty points without letting Slade win any. Which, as she'd found out before she gave up, was pretty difficult.

6:00 pm

The paintball splattered against Slade's mask, right on his temple.

"Ha! Twenty to four! Now you have to take me. You promised!" Slade sighed as scooped up a towel from the rack near the door to wipe the paint from his mask. Sara glared at him, waiting for the words she was waiting for. He threw the cloth away and walked towards the door. Sara barred his way, scrutinizing him with her piercing green eyes. "You promised." When Slade said nothing, she changed her tone to her usual playful voice. "Don't be a sore loser."

Out of nowhere, Slade grabbed her by the arm, flipped her onto her back and pressed the barrel of his gun to her forehead, the real gun…with real bullets. Sara froze as the cold metal pressed to her flesh. Very rarely had she seen Slade so angry (that she could remember, which wasn't saying much). He hissed in a quiet voice, "You can never be caught off guard again. It could very well cost you your life."

"I know."

"Then how did I flip you if you were expecting it?"

"I…I…"

"You weren't paying attention!"

"Well of course not! I didn't expect you to just attack me!"

He clicked off the safety and Sara sucked in a breath in fear. For a moment, she was actually scared that Slade was about to kill her. "Why not? You know what I'm capable of. And you know I'm trying to prepare you. Why shouldn't I attack you spontaneously? It'll keep you on your toes, where you belong."

"Let me go." She said through gritted teeth. Despite her fear of Slade killing her, she felt anger infect her like a virus.

"I'm a random guard about to take your life in the blink of an eye. Improvise."

Sara scowled at him, trying to figure out what to do. "There's a gun pressed to my forehead. How in hell could I possibly get away?"

"It's impossible. For a normal person. You're not normal, Sara. Embrace it, use it to your advantage."

Sara smirked, "Now you're making it easy." She kicked his chest, the gun went off and Sara stopped the bullet with a shield. She flipped over his head, swiping the gun out of his hands. As she aimed the gun at Slade's head, Slade spun around and pointed yet a second gun at her chest. Both froze, seeming to conclude their struggle at an impasse. But both girl and man were searching for a way to gain the upper hand of the mock fight.

Finally, Slade straightened and offered Sara his gun. Sara smiled in triumph and reached out her hand for it. But of course, that would've been too easy. Slade grabbed her hand and, yet again, flipped her onto her back. She could hear the smirk in his voice as he teased, "How do you keep falling for the same tricks?"

With a screech of anger, Sara rolled onto her feet and punched Slade's middle. He blocked, grabbed her wrist, and tried to twist it behind her. But Sara was stronger than he knew and she ripped her arm away from his grip. Then she jumped, spun in midair and landed a kick to his mask. Then, when Slade stumbled backwards, she used fire to block the exits and entrap him in a ring of flames. Sara folded her arms across her chest and sat on her hips, grinning at the trapped Slade. Slade finally grasped his composure and realized the situation he was in. As he tried to edge towards the lowest point in the flames, Sara rose them up higher and taunted, "Ah ah ah. I can't make this too easy for you."

Suddenly, Slade hurled himself through the dome of flames and tackled her to the ground. He wrapped an arm around her neck and cut off her breathing for a brief second. "You're dead. Right now. I've killed you."

Sara growled in frustration. Summoning all her strength, she flipped Slade over her head and pressed her heel to his chest. "I'm ready." She let him up, offering him a hand. But her gesture of kindness was overlooked and Slade was back on his feet in a few seconds.

While Slade brushed invisible dust and lint from his shoulder, he replied in a tight, yet somehow calm, voice, "Yes, I suppose you are."

11:00 pm

"Who's our target?" Sara asked as she bounded into the computer room. She was already garbed in an all black and orange outfit (that she picked out herself yesterday with Wintergreen), complete with a mask with spiked tips and all of the equipment she would need strapped to her back or swinging from her belt.

Slade brought up a fuzzy picture of a smiling fat cat wearing all manner of jewelry, even wearing a cape. "A crime boss called Double C has been destroying my imported computer receivers as they approach the docks. They're planning another hit on my…corporation tonight."

"So you want us to protect the shipping?" Sara asked, excitement sparkling in her eyes.

"No. We'll leave that to the androids."

Sara laughed. "You mean the Sladebots?" At Slade questioning look, she giggled, "What? That's what they look like." An awkward silence fell over the room. Sara uncomfortably shifted between her feet. "Anyway…if I'm not keeping an eye on the shipping, where will we be?"

"I will stay here and coordinate the "Sladebots" as you call them. You, meanwhile, will find this man," a picture of a sleazy looking guy, late thirties maybe, joined Double C on screen, "and kill him. He's the handyman of Double C's right hand man."

"Wait…did you just say I'm going alone?"

"Do you want me to come to hold your hand?"

Sara shoved him. "Very funny. I…I guess I didn't think you have that much faith in me."

Slade stared at her for a moment. "I suppose I can't hold you back forever. You've already proven you're more than ready for this. And I haven't forgotten how talented you are Sara. But after what happened with the Titans-"

"Hey, it was a one-time thing. I'll be fine. Besides, what kind of hero saves a criminal?"

Slade

4:05 pm

The Haunt

"Yes, I suppose you are." Slade ruffled the girl's hair. "Go take a shower and get ready for dinner. I heard Wintergreen made steaks."

He watched as the girl practically skipped out of the room. _Well done, Slade._ He congratulated himself. Why hadn't he thought of this before? With Sara's memory gone, she was the perfect apprentice. Almost better than Robin ever was. Almost. She was a good fighter, and did have a lot of potential. Her problem was that her mind was too poisoned by Wayne's no kill philosophy. With that gone, and no memory of Wayne left at all, this would be all too easy.

As he headed back to his room for a shower, Will stopped him in the hall. "I hope this was worth it, Slade. Erasing that girl's memory." Ah. So that's what this was about. Will always shook his head whenever he saw Sara, knowing what Slade had done.

"It is, actually." Slade retorted in a tight voice. Though Will was his friend, or perhaps because they were friends, he didn't like being judged by him. "It's absolutely perfect. Without her memories, she's the perfect assassin."

"Are you going to do that to Robin too?"

Slade glared at him. "Why do you care so much about teenagers? First it was Grant and Joey now it's Sara and Dick."

"I just think you might have tried something different. I understand that Sara wasn't showing any loyalty but honestly you didn't give her any reason to."

"She's happier this way. She was giggling the entire time we played paintball."

"So this was for her? Not for you?"

"What do you care, Will?" Slade hissed challengingly.

Wintergreen narrowed his eyes, but otherwise didn't meet the challenge. "Nothing. I just hope you know what you're doing."

Slade stomped away, his teeth grinding together. It irked him that Will couldn't understand. The girl didn't leave him any choice and honestly he was perfectly fine dealing with an amnesiac teenager rather than a moody one. He shrugged it off. This attack would surely get Robin's attention. Maybe the Titans would even show up.

He smiled beneath his mask. Things were about to get interesting.

4:00 am

Slade was almost disappointed when Sara returned. She'd been able to kill those five men without any interruption or issue whatsoever. She seemed exhausted and she looked like hell: blood and sweat running down her face (the blood of her victims of course). Slade sent her to bed with praise for her good kill. She smiled tiredly at him and stumbled off to her room.

Slade sighed heavily. No interruption or issue whatsoever. _Now, now, Robin. I'm sure you can do better than that._ But then he remembered the police. They showed up at the apartment not two seconds after Sara left. And there was that camera. Hm…maybe Robin would figure it out. If so, what would he do? What would he think?

Slade chuckled to himself and thought, _Well done, my dear. Well done._

Robin

7:00 am

Titans Tower

"Yes, Commissioner?"

"Hello, Robin. Have you watched the news lately?"

"Is this about that call on the police scanners last night? We picked it up after they found the bodies. What happened?"

"We hoped you might be able to tell us."

"What do you mean? Anything on the killer?"

"Nothing. No fingerprints, no misfired bullets, nothing."

"Suspects?"

"That's just it. Too many people hate these guys. They work for that crime boss we've been after. Double C."

"What, you think it's a vigilante?"

"I don't know what to think. I sent you the camera feeds. We can't tell who she is, but it's clear she isn't normal."

"Alright. I'll see what I can find out. Thanks Commissioner."

Robin ended the video chat and found the feeds the Commissioner sent him. Though he hated himself for not looking for Sara, Jump City still needed its heroes. He heard the door opened behind him as his friends tromped in.

"Dude, have you been up all night?" Beast Boy yawned.

"There were five murders at 3:25 last night. I've been helping the police figure out what's going on. Actually, you're just in time. The Commissioner sent me a video feed about the murderer. Maybe you can help me figure out who it is."

After everyone settled down, Robin clicked play. An apartment building window came into view. Five men sat around a table, playing poker, drinking, smoking, all the cliché bad guy stuff. A shadow fell over the camera and a woman in a spiked mask jumped over to the rooftop directly above. She shimmied down a pipe, her face always turned to the window. But then, Robin saw her face. Apprehension crawled down his spine and, though he wanted to turn away, his eyes were glued to the screen.

The woman leaped from the pipe and grabbed onto the window sill with amazing accuracy that Robin had only seen from a handful of people. Then, she smashed into the room through the window, a gun gleaming in her hands. She shot down four of the men before they knew what hit them. The fifth, a sleazy looking guy in his late thirties, started talking but no one could hear what he was saying because the camera didn't have a microphone. The gun went off, and the man crumpled to the floor. The woman turned, seeming to look right into the camera and Robin's breath caught in his throat. He felt his friend's eyes on him as the woman on screen aimed her gun at the camera, and everything fizzled out. A hand on his shoulder made him jump.

"Robin?" Starfire laid a hand on his cheek, worry gleaming in her gorgeous green eyes.

Robin pulled away, shock and grief shooting through him. There was no doubt in his mind that the murderer he just saw was Sara. "What has she done?" he breathed. Without a word to his teammates, Robin ran out of the room and sent a text message to Bruce's cell phone.

**get here asap! its about sara.**

Then he sent a text to Sara's phone, even though he knew she didn't have it with her.

**wat have u done?**

**Author's Note:** Robin, if you can't figure was she's done, you're a moron. She made a choice to save your ass and lost her memory as a consequence. …But that's probably not all that obvious just yet. So what do you think the Titans are thinking right now? That Robin's finally lost it or that he saw something in the video that they didn't? Or, do they actually understand what he noticed and are trying to comfort him?

And I really can't wait to write more Slade POVs. It's kind of sick, but the sadism of his POV is my favorite part. So I like being creepy, sue me. But I digress. Just imagining up these events might be enough to put me in an asylum. Then again, isn't that the same with most authors? Okay, I'm starting to ramble now, and you really don't need to know my thoughts so I'll finish with: don't stop looking for chapters now. I also added another vignette. It's gonna be good.


	43. Vignette 3: The Forgotten

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Teen Titans.

**Author's Note:** See? I told you. I based the title of the vignette of the movie The Forgotten with Julianne Moore. If you haven't seen it yet, go to your local video store right now and watch it! It's a good movie. I thought the relative confusion of the movie fit in with the piece and I haven't watched any other movies regarding amnesia. Anyway, it sounded like a good title. Enjoy!

Oriole

Vignette 3: The Forgotten

Sara

11:30

The Haunt

Before Sara left for her first mission

"How will you attack?"

"Like a shadow. Don't be seen until I want to be. Kill the target, leave without a trace." Sara replied, almost as if she'd been rehearsing this.

"Will there be any evidence?"

"No. Just witness accounts and the camera."

"And if the Titans show?"

Sara smiled and clicked the safety off her gun. "Don't hold back. Do what I have to."

"What else?" Slade said in that irritating tone that told her she'd missed something important.

She heaved a sigh. "Only hurt Robin if I have no other choice. Don't hurt him with a permanent or fatal injury. If I can, avoid rather than attack." Sara turned and looked up at Slade. "Which I still don't get. Out of all of the Titans, shouldn't I try to detain their leader before I do anything else? And why not a permanent injury and get him off the streets for good?"

A long, impregnable silence lurched over the room. Slade gazed down at her, a strange look in his eye. She got the sense this was yet another amnesia problem, that she should've remembered but couldn't. Finally, after about two minutes of complete silence, Slade said slowly, "You really don't remember anything, do you?"

Sadly, Sara shook her head.

Slade sighed. "Robin wasn't always Robin, you know. We knew him first as Dick Grayson." Sara cocked an eyebrow. Slade knew Robin's real name? How? "But I was training him as my apprentice."

Sara's eyes widened in shock. But that would mean…Robin…how…? After a long time, she collected her thoughts and managed, "But then…Robin's not…he…He's not a hero? But how? That doesn't make any sense!"

"Do you think I'm lying?"

"No, of course not. I just…it's a little unbelievable."

"Yes, it is remarkable isn't it? There's more than one reason why I want to kill Batman. First, he stole Dick. Then he had Dick take you away. And now, I have a contract to kill him."

Sara's head spun. So Robin…or Dick (whatever!) belonged here. Not with the Titans. No wonder Slade didn't want her to hurt him. A thought occurred to her, "Have you ever considered that Ro- I mean Dick acted of his own accord? Maybe he remembered me, or some part of him did. I mean, you were familiar when I woke up. Maybe he recognized me."

After a brief pause, he replied, "Yes, I considered it. I'm not sure what to think, my dear. Dick is a very confused young man. He doesn't know who he is anymore."

"Maybe I could help?"

"Oh? And how is that?" He asked in an amused voice. It made the hair on the back of her neck stand. She shook off the feeling.

"Well I know what it's like to be confused with the amnesia that's been going on. And I've been able to jog a few memories by things I see or touch. Maybe I could jog a few of his too."

"Perhaps."

Something told Sara that he didn't believe it.

"Sara!"

Sara's black hair flew around her face as she turned towards the voice. At the sight of him, something stirred within her. Then a dark shadow stepped out from the dark alley. No, not a shadow. A man, dressed in a black and gray costume. Batman. Slade's contract. But the sight of him too made something awaken. Something that'd been long since buried.

All of a sudden, she wanted to run. But she had to stay with her mission. Right?

_"Even if the Titans show, which they probably will after the gunshots go off, don't let them win. Run only if you have to. Prove to them that they can't erase your memory again. Put on a performance, even better than last time._" Last time, of course, referring to her five kills of Double C's right hand's right hand and other flunkies. This time, she'd just killed Double C's right hand. Next would come Double C. And then…then Slade was taking her on his contract to kill Batman.

_"Really?" Sara asked with excitement._

_ "If I think you're ready," he replied as he loaded her pistol for her. _

_ "But what if I see him? Couldn't I just kill him myself?"_

_ Slade stiffened. He walked over to her, pressed the gun to her hand and looked at her with urgency in his eye. "No. It'll take the two of us to take out the Batman. Understand? He dodges bullets on a daily basis. Trust me; it'll take both of us to kill him. Injure him if you can. If not, avoid him all together. But hurt the Titans. Make a show, remember?"_

_ She smiled, cocked her gun, and shot a Dr. Pepper pop can that she'd been drinking earlier. "Lights. Camera. Action."_

She shook her head free of the memory. Don't hurt Robin if you don't have to, don't try to kill Batman, go after the Titans. So many damn rules. Sara almost laughed at the thought. Swearing? She could remember how to swear but she could hardly remember her own name. She chuckled despite herself, thinking: _what the hell._

Sara turned and was about to run, but then a bullet whizzed through the air and went straight through her shoulder. She grunted at the force of the impact, but otherwise didn't react. Recognizing the shooter as one of Double C's guys, Sara pulled out the battle rifle, which was strapped like a backpack on her back, she aimed the crosshairs on the man's head as he hurriedly packed his sniper away, but then the scope suddenly went dark. Sara looked and saw Batman standing in the way.

She gaped at his audacity. Aiming the gun at his head, (and regrettably remembering Slade's warning) Sara growled, "Back off or I _will_ kill you." She cocked it threateningly.

As another prove of his courage, he actually put his hand on the muzzle of her gun and lowered it. Strangely, Sara let him as she looked into his eyes. They were blue, she realized. Another feeling that something was stirring within her, like a name on the tip of her tongue. As he lowered her gun, he murmured in that intense, low voice (again, it was like a distant memory) "You've killed enough people tonight."

Her eyes narrowed suddenly. The way he said it set her off. "Afraid the Dark Knight could get killed by a seventeen year old? HA! You're not as threatening as some people seem to think." She honestly couldn't say who "some people" were, but it was probably a long list. Including Sara Thompson.

"Sara," another agonizingly familiar voice sounded behind her. She started. Oh yeah, Robin's around too isn't he? She'd almost forgotten. "You don't have to do this."

Without taking her eyes away from Batman's, she replied, "You're going to have to be more specific…" then, with a cocky smirk, she turned and taunted, "Dick." Sara laughed. "Oh, that's right. I'm not supposed to know that."

"What are you talking about?"

Either he was really good at acting (and by the similar surprised look that Batman gave her revealed he wasn't) or he was genuinely confused. She covered her own surprise with a laugh and, "You wear a mask for a reason, stupid." It was a childish remark, but with the current circumstances she was amazed she hadn't stammered.

"Sara, you've seen me without my mask. Him too." Robin replied, gesturing to the shadow of a man behind her. She repressed yet another almost-laugh at her clever twist concerning the true purpose of the phrase "shadow of a man."

But the prospect squashed any humor in it. Seeing Batman's true identity? Had she torn the mask from his head or had he removed it himself, she wondered? Pushing the thought aside, she scoffed and said, "You erased my memory after I left, remember?"

Another exchange of confused looks passed between Batman and Robin. Was it really possible that they didn't know? Could Raven have done it without telling them? Then again, she'd also erased Robin's memory. Or…she pushed the disturbing thought away, but it formed anyway in defiance to her wishes. …Or had Slade lied to her? For some reason, the prospect wasn't so surprising. But she had no reason to distrust Slade. After all, he'd been taking care of her right? …Right? Or had he? She knew she should be feeling guilty for thinking such things about her caretaker, but somehow the idea didn't seem foreign.

Yet again, the urge to run swept over her. She didn't want to face these men, didn't want to be even more confused. Then a new thought occurred to her. Damn them. They were doing this. Just seeing the two men before her sent her confusing jumble of half-memories spiraling out of control.

With a knowing smile (even though she was entirely lost), she saluted them and said, "Better luck next time, boys." And with that, she changed into an oriole and flew away.

Instead of returning to the Haunt, as she was supposed to, she landed on a rooftop near the recently burned-down police station. What was she thinking? An assassin going to a police station? Burned down, sure, but still dangerous. What if there were cameras? Even with her mask, the Titans would see it. Oh what did she care? They would see her kill thirteen…no, fourteen people on a tape so why not her trip to the police station. Which brought her back to her initial question: why was she here? Rolling her eyes at her own foolishness, Sara turned to leave, but her eyes seemed to catch something. A fire?

Turning around with neck-aching speed, she saw a flash of a burning building, of hearing the thoughts of a young man in a yellow and black cape and a red and green uniform. Damn it. She couldn't have a memory attack, not now. Night it may very well be, but prepared for an attack now she was not.

After her five kills (could it have been only yesterday?), Sara had frequent images. Brief flashes of memories, pictures really. And they only lasted for a second or two. Until about six o'clock last night, during dinner. According to Slade and Wintergreen, her body writhed as though being tortured. Her mind, however, was otherwise occupied. Full memories returned to her. She could recount a few details about Titans Tower, a few about a strange cabin, of a hotel room in Cody, Wyoming, of a man named Ricky Coleman.

Beyond that, Slade was still her only connection to the past. Well, he and Dick. But Dick was also having memory problems, so she doubted he would be much help. It happened a mere two times since then. Once during her sleep, and again just before her lessons with Slade. Slade almost forbade her from going on her mission. But after a half hour of begging and well-reasoned arguments, he caved. Thankfully. One more second trapped in that dusty, rust-ridden junkyard and she might explode. And not in the excited way.

But after her third time, she learned how to hold it off (if only for a few minutes). Maybe long enough to get back to the Haunt? Coaching herself and forcing her eyes to see what was real, she stumbled to the edge of the roof and looked to the adjacent building. With her unbalanced vision, it looked to be a tantalizing distance. And in her current state, was it really a good idea to be running in her current predicament? Then again, staying was an even worse prospect. Her memories, as if they had minds of their own, chose for her.

Images danced before her eyes. A ballroom? What in hell was she doing at a ball? _Then she remembered. She was a spy for Ricky. Surveying the scene of Wayne Manor and setting it up for Ricky's kill. He promised her a share of the money, but what on earth would she do with the money he intended on giving? Shaking her head clear of the thoughts, she found a suitable post in a vacant chair at a near empty table. She gracefully sat down into it and surveyed the ballroom. A few couples danced in the center, but most of them sat to the side with cups of punch or scotch in their hands, jabbering away like so many squirrels gossiping about the latest acorn shortage. _

_ She spotted a young man about her age talking with an elderly man carrying a tray. Ah, the butler. Alfred Pennyworth. After Wayne's parents were murdered, Pennyworth became Wayne's guardian and caretaker. Further than that, she hadn't read nor cared about. Pennyworth wasn't the target. Her focus turned to spot a tall man with silvery hair. Not silver with age, but rather naturally. It was the most interesting she'd seen during her entire visit – wasn't that young man further away last time she checked? And hadn't he looked more bored last she looked. Oh, damn it, he's coming this way._

Sara snapped out of the memory, gasping for breath. For the umpteenth time, she asked herself, "Who was I?" And more importantly, could Slade be trusted?

**Author's Note:** HA! Take that Slade! Score one for Sara. Haha, didn't see that one coming did ya? Oh, and by the way, the fourteen men she killed after those first five will be explained next chapter. Which I am hoping and praying I'll have enough time to have it ready by next Sunday. If not, know that I suffer for it. I'm really not trying to neglect you guys, but I have Speech, homework and driver's training to do now for 3 hrs after school! I only was able to write this thanks to working ahead last week. But I'm working ahead now, so hopefully I'll have enough time. If not, I'm so incredibly sorry. But I refuse to post a half-finished chapter.

Enough rambling. I hope you liked this vignette and hopefully I'll be able to post a new one next week.


	44. Chapter 40: Mail Call

**Disclaimer:** I don't and probably never will own Teen Titans. Sad, isn't it?

**Author's Note:** This has been a long week. Why do I say this? Because I've been in Germany! That's right everyone, karana32 is now an official international. But unfortunately, Germany has also meant not much spare time on my hands. So, that's my excuse for the lateness. Sorry.

Anyway, this is the part when Slade's plan is just starting to unfold. See if you can pick out the foreshadowing. See ya!

Oriole

Chapter 40: Mail Call

Robin

11:23 pm

Titans Tower

A day after Sara's second assassinations

Robin plopped the small package onto the counter of the commons room. He didn't have to look at the contents to know what was inside. After all, gloating was practically written all over it…in Sara's handwriting. None of the others would know, but it was very clear to him. He asked them politely not to open it, but no one could react before Beast Boy was ripping open the small bubble-wrap-lined envelope and producing a DVD case. Blu-ray even.

_Damn him_, Robin thought.

After a text to Bruce and Bruce's arrival, the entire team plopped down on or near the couch. Batman stood nearby, watching with that fixed expression whenever he was puzzling something out. Robin ignored the eyes he felt at his back as he carefully placed the disc into the computer. There was a fizzle at first, then an image of Slade appeared on screen. Starfire squeezed his hand in comfort. Robin squeezed back as a show of his gratitude. Thank God she was there for him.

"Three days without another word? I expected more from you, Robin. After all, you know exactly where we are." Robin felt Batman's confused eyes on him after Slade said those words. Bruce didn't know about the Haunt. Robin intended to keep it that way. "I guess you just don't care about Sara. Or, is it because you're worried about what you might find?"

Robin's body tensed. How did Slade always know what he was thinking? Then again, his last statement wasn't entirely accurate. Worried? Try terrified. He'd lived through Slade's cruelty, twice now (though things were somehow easier in Wyoming). He knew what Sara could be going through. And the words she said the other day at the Haunt played over and over in his nightmares. Starfire squeezed his hand again. He looked at her and tried to give her a reassuring smile. But it came out flat.

"I assure you that Sara is actually doing very well here. It took some convincing," Robin shivered. It had nothing to do with the temperature, "but after she came to her senses, she's actually better than ever. Perhaps words can't describe it. Do you want to see her recent achievements?"

The answer was a flat out, unquestionable no, but it was a DVD. Slade couldn't (and probably wouldn't listen anyway) hear him. Oh God, this was about last night wasn't it? Damn it, he didn't want to watch this again.

The image on screen changed to a video feed of a dark hallway. Three thugs were outlined by the small, dim light near the door. One of them, a redhead, was leaning against the wall, his AK-47 hanging loosely in his hands. The other two were sitting at a small table (playing poker maybe?), their machine gun straps hanging from the backs of their chairs. Robin's eyes searched the room for a familiar clad-in-black figure. Then he spotted her sneaking along the far wall, a Glock in hand. She shot the two playing poker. One was killed instantly with a bullet to the forehead, another shot in the thigh. The last one, the redhead, dropped his gun instantly and held up his hands in surrender. He looked up at Sara with fear.

She stepped into the dim light, a smirk curving her lips. Her gun pressed against the man's forehead. He got to his knees and literally begged. " Don't shoot. Please! They dragged me along! I didn't know what we were doing! Please, don't shoot! Don't-" BANG!

Sara's smile broadened. "Oops. Did I do that?"

Suddenly, the fire alarm went off. The guy she'd shot in the thigh had dragged himself over to the fire alarm switch. Sara's gun swiveled to the dying man. "You know you just did what I wanted, right?" At the guard's silence, she giggled and taunted, "It sucks when things don't go right doesn't it? Then again, you work for Double C's bitch. So what does that make you?"

Back in Titan's Tower, jaws dropped at her words. Not just because of the swearing, but the spark of excitement in her eyes, the lack of sympathy. Could this really be Sara? Robin looked away. But he could still hear.

"At least…I…" the man gasped between breaths, blood flooding from his wound like someone opened flood gates. "I don't enjoy it…I don't…enjoy…killing. I'm not a freak…like you."

Sara laughed. "It looks like it's better to be a freak than someone else's bitch." And with that, BANG! The last guard flopped to the ground like Raggedy Andy.

Sara reloaded her gun, and then melted into the shadows. Soon, ten goons came rushing in. The leader shot the fire alarm and it cut off with one last, defiant bleep. They all looked down at their fallen comrades. A skinny blonde kid, maybe eighteen, pushed his way to the front and said loudly, "Oh shit. What the hell happened here?"

"An assassin," the leader announced, "a good one."

"Aw, I'm flattered." Sara appeared seemingly out of nowhere and shot down six goons before anyone could react. A seventh before they could disarm her. The three left, a woman, a tall man and the skinny blonde, pulled out their guns. The blonde rushed her. Stupid kid. Sara brought her foot up in the tender spot (all of the boys in the room winced in sympathy) and broke his neck with her bare hands. Then she reached down to her boot and threw a knife at the other man. It sank into his throat. The last of them all pressed the gun to the back of Sara's head.

Sara laughed and dropped the boy with the snapped neck. "Oh, now this is tragic. I take down, let's see," she takes a second to count, "yup, twelve of your boss's men and the thirteenth is the one that gets me. Just goes to show, thirteen is an unlucky number.

The woman scowled at her, her eyes narrowed in loathing in its most poisonous form. Robin recognized a similarity between the blonde and this woman. His sister maybe, or mother? Dammit Sara. "Die, you bitch." The woman growled and clicked the safety off.

Sara smiled. Suddenly, she lashed out a kick at her would-be-killer and the gun flew up out of the woman's hands. Sara caught it and turned the gun on its owner. "Okay, you will." And with a loud shot, the thirteenth guard was dead.

Sara turned to the camera and waved, blood speckled her face, her arms, her clothes, dotting her hair. "I hope you boys and girls at home enjoyed the show. Don't forget to tip your waitor."

The image fizzled. Because what happened next, Robin remembered all too well (partially because of the bruises and burns practically all over his body), was when the Titans arrived. Slade's mask again flickered on screen. "I think she's doing rather well. After all, her first run against the Titans and escaping unscathed, she earns quite a bit of credit for her talents. Oh, and don't worry, this won't be the last of my little tapes. Unless of course, Robin, you decide to spare Sara anymore nightmares. She hasn't been taking very well to the murders. No one ever does at first." And with that, the "show" ended.

Silence infected the room like a plague. You could've heard a pin drop. The others exchanged looks of apprehension and concern. Only Batman, Robin and Raven didn't take their eyes off the black screen.

Suddenly, Raven floated over to the counsel and rewound the DVD.

As she pressed play, Slade's cool voice returned, "…first run against the Titans-" Finally finding whatever it was she was looking for, Raven pressed pause.

"What are you doing?" Beast Boy asked. He tromped over to Raven and curiously peered over her shoulder.

A grid appeared over a small dark area behind Slade. She zoomed in and enhanced the picture. Was that…? How had she spotted that? The darkness was a small, humanoid figure: a shadow and the small patch of pale, porcelain-like skin of a right shoulder, and Slade's insignia sown into the armband.

"Oriole was listening."

"How…" but the question died on his lips. It didn't matter how Raven saw it. He stared at the image and made out a few strands of her dark hair and her green eyes. "Why was she…" Did he really need to ask? He knew the answer.

"It isn't obvious?" Batman asked, his eyes hard and his jaw set.

"I know why, but it's just…not like her. She's not like that." Not anymore. Then the last puzzle piece clicked in. It was one of those moments when you wondered how you didn't figure it out until now. His attention returned to the small insignia on Sara's shoulder. She wouldn't wear that unless forced to or…if she didn't know what significance it held. "Slade erased her memory…"

"Hold up. Say what now?" Cyborg exclaimed.

"Dude, how did you get that from a tiny picture? We don't even know if it's her!"

"Robin, you cannot be certain. Oriole would never have-" Starfire was cut off.

"She wouldn't be given a choice about it." Batman snapped. He turned his glare to Robin. "You never should have gone to the Haunt. Not without backup."

"What do you call the Titans?" He said defensively. Damn it! What was it about Bruce that always brought out the five-year-old in him? "I was perfectly fine. It's not like I'm gonna-"

"It's not you that I was worried about! You said she defended you but you failed to specify how. So what exactly happened?"

Reluctantly, he retold the story of what exactly happened in the Haunt that day. Bruce's head perked up when he recounted the part about when Sara attacked Slade.

Afterward, silence descended upon them like darkness after twilight. No one moved. You could've heard a pin drop. Finally, "You should've called." And just like that, reminiscent of many of their previous arguments, Batman left.

Robin released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. But after a moment, his breath caught in his throat. No, Bruce hadn't just left. There was more to it than that. He knew Bruce too well. If he found something, anything, that might help him find a lead, he wouldn't take Robin or any of the Titans. Not after what happened at the Haunt. No, Batman would go alone.

Robin chased after him. But by the time he reached the hallway, Batman had already disappeared.

Batman

11:45 pm

Jump City

The Haunt

Batman slipped stealthily past the security cameras as they surveyed the area. He knew perfectly well that he could be walking into a trap, but he honestly didn't care. It was his fault Sara was in this mess. It was his job to get her out of it.

"Batman?"

Bruce froze and turned slowly. Sara stepped out of the shadows. She looked…older. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and hoop earrings hung from her ears. She wore high-heeled boots and black slacks, matched with a black tank top and armbands with Slade's insignia on them. What made her look older was the cold, ruthless look in her eyes. Emotionless. Inhuman. There were many words to describe it but Bruce found himself suddenly speechless. Because just then, he'd spotted the holsters blending in with her outfit, the guns now seeming to glow menacingly in their places.

"What are you doing here?" Sara asked, no recognition, or any emotion for that matter, revealed in her emerald eyes.

"I came to take you home. Come on, let's go before-"

"Home? I am home."

Bruce squinted. What was wrong with her? "Sara? Do you know who I am?"

"Of course I do." For a moment, Bruce breathed a silent relief. But then, "Everyone knows the Dark Knight." There was an unspoken duh in her tone.

"No, I meant under the mask."

She smirked. "Well if I knew that, your "secret identity" wouldn't be so "secret" anymore now would it?"

Damn it. He was afraid of this. Many times before (sometimes he wished Sara became Oriole before he became Batman because of this), the situation demanded for a little "trauma relief" as Sara called it. She would erase part of their memory, which psychologists would chalk up to memory repression due to stress. On occasion, even Commissioner Gordon had some "trauma relief." She hated doing it, (hence her less menacing term for it) but when it had to be done, she didn't hesitate. It only made sense that Slade, having powers akin to hers, could also erase memories. Bruce had hoped it would never come to amnesia but, as it seemed, his fears had been realized.

"Sara, where is-" Suddenly, Sara's eyes rolled to the back of her head and she dropped to the floor like a ragdoll.

Before Bruce could see if she was alright, WHACK! A bo-staff smacked him in the gut and knocked him away from Sara. Slade stepped from a previously seamless wall, which Bruce now realized actually had a sliding door built into it. "Do you know how easy that was, just now? One would think you knew nothing about her. After all, Robin realized immediately when I took control last night."

"Let her go, Slade. Now."

"You may control the streets of Gotham but Jump City is my territory. Oh yes, Robin and his gang have deterred my plans once or twice, but they are still children. Robin didn't even figure out that it was him I was after until it was too late. He's very bright, just not fast enough. Sara, however, possesses no detective skills whatsoever. She's obviously not as well trained as Robin, and not just because she joined your little team in Gotham later than he did. You've been holding her back. Ironically, one of the few things you failed to teach her may have prevented all this. Oh well."

Batman's fist balled at his sides. No way was this criminal keeping Sara. No. Way. In. Hell. A batarang slipped into his hand and he chucked it at Slade. In a single, fluid motion, Slade dodged and swiped his feet under Batman's legs. Bruce jumped to avoid tripping over his feet and blocked a swipe of Slade's bo-staff. The staff had never been his weapon of choice, but he could use it if he had to.

Removing his own bo-staff from his utility belt, Batman swung it like a baseball bat. With a loud crack, the bo-staffs met and the two struggled against the other.

"What upsets you more, Batman? That I took her, or that she's become an unbeatable assassin."

"It's the fact that you'll get her killed."

Slade chuckled softly. "I said unbeatable for a reason. True, she's not immortal, but she's stronger than you give her credit for."

Then, CRACK! The loud noise reverberated through the chamber and pain lanced through his skull. His legs buckled beneath him as he began to see stars. The "smoking gun" (in this case a staff) was held by Sara, her eyes narrowed coldly as she glared at him.

"When did he get here?" She asked, jutting her chin out in his direction.

"Why you just fought him, my dear. Then you fell unconscious. The Titans must be arriving. Be a good little girl and take care of them for me, would you?"

Batman growled underneath his breath. How could someone lie so smoothly?

Sara smiled cruelly, excitement sparking in her eyes, "My pleasure."

"Sara," Bruce called. Sara stopped and looked back at him. "Stay."

Her malevolent grin broadened. "What, you want me to kill you instead of them?" With that she skipped (actually skipped!) towards the entrance, the guns laughing at him as they and Sara disappeared into the field of gears.

Not two seconds after she left, Slade slammed a foot into Bruce's face. Batman skittered backward and jumped to his feet. Then a green light flashed and Slade was knocked away from him with a cry of pain. Batman looked over to see Starfire. Wasn't she supposed to be helping the Titans fight Sara? But at closer inspection of the background behind Starfire, his eyes widened. In one of Raven's black energy shields, Sara banged her fists against the walls of her small cell.

"Come on, let's go! Raven can't keep this up." Robin shouted, waving Bruce over. Though normally he would've been defiant and told Dick not to try to tell him what to do, Bruce sprinted over to the Titans, his eyes locked on Sara.

"Good!" She snapped at Robin, referring to the apparent lack of time. Lighting her hands, Sara threw fireballs at the shield. Raven winced and a crack formed on it.

Slade started to get up behind them. Bruce slammed the door shut and had Starfire melt the cracks around it. It wouldn't hold him long, but it would buy them some time. He turned back to Sara. By that time, two more cracks were etched into the shield as beads of sweat rolled down Raven's forehead. Bruce looked over at Cyborg.

"Can you make your sonic cannon at a frequency only animals could hear?" He whispered to the half-mechanical young man. Cyborg nodded and formed his sonic cannon from his arm, using his opposite hand to reprogram it.

Beast Boy, surprisingly understanding what Bruce was asking, clapped his hands over his ears.

"That won't hold him forever you know! And when he gets out he's gonna kill you. All of you. He's not gonna be lenient next time." Sara snarled, her eyes gleaming with fury. "And you can't keep me in here forever!" As if proving it, she changed into a wolf and clawed at the shield. Another crack. Batman repressed a smile. She walked herself right into a trap. When there was a big enough hole in her cell's security, Sara transformed into an oriole. Just before she could squeeze her fat little body through the crack, Cyborg unleashed his sonic cannon. An alarmed twitter escaped her beak and Beast Boy cried out in pain. But none of the others could hear anything.

Finally Sara changed back into a human and collapsed, landing heavily on what left of Raven's dome of energy in a tangle of arms and legs. Cyborg caught the unconscious Beast Boy and Robin and Starfire helped the exhausted Raven. Bruce, meanwhile, pulled Sara off the floor (as Raven's shield shattered after Sara's landing) and into his arms.

One by one, the Titans and Batman filed out of the room. On the way out, Robin wondered, "How are we going to get Sara someplace safe? There isn't enough room in the T-Car and I am not letting anyone stay behind near this place."

"How about we go on ahead?" Cyborg suggested. "I'll bring the car back after I drop everyone off."

"And besides that, we need to make sure she'll stay unconscious until she's in a secure location. If not, she may escape." Batman added. "I'll take her to my place. There are anesthetics there that I can use."

After a bit of arguing, everyone finally agreed. So,while the Titans went home to take care of Raven, Batman and Robin took Sara to Bruce's hotel room. Obviously they weren't just going to walk right into the hotel as Batman and Robin. So they went to the alleyway. Robin scrambled up to the fire escape and lowered the ladder for Bruce. He had to help haul Sara up and into the hotel room, which was on the third floor.

Bruce lay Sara on the couch while Robin looked for Alfred, who was strangely absent. Then, he heard, "Apparently Alfred is picking up some paper work from the office. It says here that he left at 11:30, so he should be back soon."

Bruce returned his attention to the unconscious Sara. Asleep, she almost looked like herself again. Almost. That outfit, especially with the insignia's on her armbands, was definitely not like Sara. He looked over at Robin and jerked his head, beckoning him.

"Something's wrong with her," Bruce said. As if on cue, Sara's eyelids twitched and a tremor shook her body. Her neutral expression turned into a scowl.

Robin nodded. "I know. I noticed it while we were fighting. She's…different. Not herself. And not just because of the amnesia thing."

_Just what I was thinking,_ Bruce thought.

"Slade must've done something to her."

"Psychological, probably," Bruce added.

Dick looked at him in surprise, "Why do you say that?"

"If he was controlling her, he wouldn't have been entirely focused when he was fighting me. But he was."

The two men stared at the sleeping girl, both wondering what she'd endured while under Slade's tutelage. Finally, Batman broke the silence. "We'll discuss this more at the Tower."

"The Tower?" Robin echoed, not entirely sure why they would go to the Tower and leave Sara here.

"She's not staying here."

Robin stared in shock. "Well she can't stay at the Tower, it's the perfect target!"

Bruce repressed the urge to roll his eyes. "If it's such a perfect target, then why hasn't Slade kidnapped you already?" When Robin had no response, Batman pressed a cloth with chloroform to Sara's nose. After a minute, he pulled it away and stored it back in his utility belt.

Robin sighed and called Cyborg to pick them up near their location. Bruce scooped Sara into his arms and waited until Robin opened the window to the fire escape. When they were back on the ground, they waited in the alleyway until the T-Car pulled in. Robin opened the door and Bruce buckled her in the backseat. Robin hopped in the front. Cyborg waited for Batman to get in.

"I'm going to wait here for a while. Call me when she wakes up." With that, he disappeared into the shadows.

Now, where is Alfred?

**Author's Note:** Well if you read his note, you would've known Bruce. So, just what happened while Sara was running away earlier huh? I bet you're wondering. Don't worry; I'll show you. In a vignette. I realized that this chapter was getting a little long and adding on Sara's escape would just take forever. So I'm putting it in a vignette. There's a lot of stuff in this one. So if you haven't been reading them, read this one! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, please review as always and I'll cya soon!


	45. Vignette 4: What're You Running From?

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Teen Titans.

**Author's Note:** Warning, this chapter has a very disturbing part in it. You have been warned.

Oriole

Vignette 4: Escaping From What?

Sara

12:30 am

Near a warehouse

After the second assassination

Double C's right hand man sank to the ground, dead. She didn't know if Slade was still recording or not, nor if the Titans would see this. After all, it'd been kinda sloppy. It took her a full ten minutes to finally disarm him. The killing took maybe a few seconds. The Titans would arrive soon. Very soon. That fire alarm would attract attention of the firemen, then the police, then ultimately the Titans. Sara smiled. Good. Let them come. Then she would prove that she was ready.

Sara walked out of the room so casually you would never have thought she'd just killed someone. Then, BANG! Sara cried out in pain as a bullet ran straight through her hip. One of the guards she'd taken down held a fallen pistol and was aiming it at her. How in hell? Thinking fast, she heated the gun to well above boiling, metal starting to bubble like thick soup in a cooking pot. The guard yelped and tossed the gun away. Sara caught it in midair and reshaped it into a gun shape, turned it on its owner and shot the man twice in the head.

Not now. She couldn't deal with a wounded leg now! The Titans were coming. She had to be at her best to prove to Slade that she was ready to take on Double C. Damn it.

"Apprentice, report. What's going on?" Slade's voice sounded in her ear.

"I'm fine. Just gimme a minute." She paused, then added, "And don't act like you don't know what's going on! You're watching this whole thing through the video feeds."

"The Titans and Batman are on their way. If you can't handle this-"

"I said I'll be fine. Chill."

Slade fell silent. Thankfully. Sara tried to heal herself, but nothing happened. Another attempt also ended in failure. She growled at herself, "Come on! Work!" Her legs buckled beneath her. Sara grimaced in pain.

"You don't have a minute. They're coming." Slade hissed.

"I'm aware of that." She snapped. Sara changed into an oriole and, with difficulty, made her getaway into an open vent.

Once far from the room with dead bodies she changed back into a human, only to find it was a big mistake. The vent collapsed beneath her and she fell to the ground of an abandoned building. Groaning, she steadily got to her feet even though her hip screamed protests. Sara grabbed a nearby half-gnawed-away-by-termites counter and hoisted herself up. It wasn't a very sturdy support, but it would do for now.

Her eyes flashed green as she tried to heal herself but to no avail. "Come on! Why isn't it working?" She whispered angrily to herself. She tried again, but again nothing happened. Accepting she wouldn't be able to heal herself until later, Sara gently set down her left foot and tried to put some of her weight on it. It collapsed immediately with a lance of pain shooting through her body. She fell to the ground and growled in frustration.

"Bad day?"

She froze. That voice. It sounded so familiar. Sara looked up and saw a red and green figure in the shadows. In her weakened state, she wouldn't be able to fight him. Not without more injuries to her and/or killing him. And Slade wanted Robin alive. She laughed at the irony. "I guess you got me huh?"

He shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know if you're faking all this and saw me coming or not. I thought this'd be a good time to talk."

Slowly Sara got into a sitting position, taking care not to move her left leg too much. "There's nothing to say."

"Don't give me that bullshit, Sair. You remember me. I know you do! You just need a little help with the rest of it."

"The rest of what? Raven's little mind tricks? You can drop the act. I know about everything."

Robin cocked his head curiously. "What are you talking about? What mind tricks?"

"Slade told me everything that happened. Did you really think I would fall for your little mind games forever? Well guess what? You failed. Give it up and leave me alone!"

Relief swept through her as she felt her hip healing. Her powers finally started working. She didn't reveal it though; this was too good an advantage. He didn't seem to notice as she slowly moved her leg about a half-inch. No pain. She feigned looking away from him to check the wound in her hip. Completely healed.

Sara hid her smile with a grimace of mock pain. Robin approached her cautiously. Oh so predictable.

"How bad is it-?" Before he could finish his sentence, Sara leaped up and kicked the center of his chest. It'd been so unexpected, he flew back against the wall. Sara laughed, "Oh and, by the way, the wound? Never there."

With that, Sara ripped the door off of its hinges and hurled it through the window. Shattered glass littered the dust-covered ground. Sara leaped through the broken window and caught the ledge. Glass shards dug into her hand, but she hardly noticed. She scurried up the side of the building until she pulled herself up to the roof. Perched on the edge, she picked glass shards out of her palm.

"You still there, Slade?" She called. "I was gonna give you an update."

"What is going on?" He shouted.

The earpiece squealed at his loud voice. Sara took out the earpiece and rubbed her ear free of the ringing now resounding in it. Replacing it back in her ear, she replied simply, "You don't have to shout."

"You refuse to answer me or even step in front of a camera so I can see what's going on? How am I supposed to react," he growled dangerously.

"Chill! I was shot in the hip. For a second, my healing fritzed out and I couldn't go anywhere. But I healed it in time to kick Robin into a – AHH!" Sara yelped as foot appeared over the edge of the rooftop and kicked her right in the face.

"Apprentice report!"

"I'm gonna have to put you on hold." She gnashed her teeth at her attacker. Robin. Again! Talking to Robin now, she snarled, "You just don't know when to give up do you?"

"This isn't you, Sara. I know it. I know you." He replied stubbornly. Then, strangely, he smirked. "And I only give up if I know I can't win."

Sara realized a moment too late that he wasn't looking at her. Something green slammed into her back and sent her sprawling to the concrete roof. She rolled to her feet and spun around, spotting Starfire landing on the roof. A hawk changed into Beast Boy on her left, and, she grinned at this one, Batman on her right. Raven appearing to her right somewhat dulled this elation at the sight of him. But only slightly. After all, killing Batman was the perfect way to prove herself to Slade.

"Rodent's here from big bad Gotham," She murmured to Slade.

"What's your plan?"

"Kill him of course."

"No, not yet." He scolded, "Focus on luring him away from the group. Then strike. But if you have no other choice, just lose them and meet Wintergreen at the rendezvous point."

"Okay," she couldn't say anymore, otherwise the others might get suspicious and that was the last thing she needed. Speaking to the small group of "heroes" around her, she taunted, "Well, well. Isn't this something? One of my first encounters with the Titans and here they've called Batman over too. How very touching." She almost laughed. Touching? She sounded a little bit like Slade.

With a flourish of her wrists, a wave of fire flew from her hands directly at Batman…and died with a puff of smoke. Sara's eyes widened, "What's happening to me?"

Then, thunder boomed overhead. _It wasn't supposed to rain!_ Rain, as it always had, meant no powers. Fortunately, every time it'd rained in the past, she'd had backup to protect her. Now…Slade was at least ten minutes away if he drove. Wintergreen was five minutes away, and an old man. She narrowed her eyes at the darkened clouds, wishing they'd disappear. As if in defiance, a raindrop splattered on her nose.

Suddenly, Sara felt very afraid. She was surrounded, with no way out, and now powerless. And Robin knew a lot about her powers. Did he know that her powers failed on a rainy day? "Now!" Robin ordered, everyone converging on her at once. That would be a yes.

Robin charged just as a starbolt struck her on the back. Sara barely dodged the blow from Robin's fist, only to run right into Batman's.

"Get out of there, now!" Slade ordered.

Without warning, it began to pour heavily. _The world just loves to make life miserable doesn't it?_ She thought angrily.

Sara struggled to her feet, just in time to leap over a swipe of Beast Boy's alligator tail. "Easier said than done." Surrounded in black energy, pieces of pipe metal ripped off and soared through the air at her. One piece hit her right in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. The Titans and Batman formed a tight circle around her. Somehow, her muddled thoughts managed to notice that they were one Titan short. Where was Cyborg?

Robin stepped out of the circle and flipped open his communicator. "Cy, you have the car close by?" Ah, he's in the getaway car.

"Yeah, man. You got Oriole?"

Oriole? Who's Oriole? Wait…that sounds familiar. Slade's voice interrupted her train of thought. "There's a door to your right. Get to it."

"Raven's over there." She whispered.

"You're not helpless, so don't act like it. Improvise." Just like that, he disconnected. Sara repressed a growl in her throat. Okay, improvise. Concentrate.

Now she really did growl, "If I had time for a plan-"

"That is not an excuse, young lady. You will win or you'll have me to deal with. Understand?" Slade hissed.

She scoffed. Bossy much? "Yes sir." By then her hair was plastered to her skin and she was soaked through to the bone, no change of using her powers whatsoever.

Okay, focus Sara! Her greatest weapon was using their own offenses against them. Robin snapped his communicator shut. Focus! After a moment of studying their previous fight, she noticed three things. One, Starfire always protected Robin. Whenever she got too close, a starbolt would smack her away from him. Two, Raven took it upon herself to protect everyone. Three, Robin and Batman prevented her from using her weapons. Anytime she reached for her belt or holsters, one of them was there to stop her. But none of this helped her.

Or maybe…maybe it did. With a wry smile, she fit her plan together like pieces of a grand puzzle. In a blur of motion, she lashed out a kick at Batman's stomach. The wind knocked out of him, Batman's knees buckled beneath him. She reached for her holster and Robin threw a bird-a-rang to try and stop her. She caught it (albeit with sliced fingers) and aimed it at Beast Boy. It dug into his tail.

Beast Boy-as a wolf this time-clawed at his tail to free the embedded weapon, distracting Raven. Robin charged at her, but Sara jumped out of the way like a bullfighter, grabbed his cape and launched him towards Batman, who was just starting to stand. Then she started running, while Starfire helped Batman and Robin.

She scurried up a billboard and leaped down to the adjacent building, rolling to break her fall. Raven, Beast Boy and Starfire were right behind her. Vaguely, she wondered where Batman and Robin were. Sara caught sight of Cyborg in the T-Car below. But she was faster than the four Titans.

Turning the corner, she took the opportunity of losing them for a brief moment and hid behind a construction machine. When her pursuers lost track of her, she tiptoed away, turned another corner…now she wasn't so sure she could escape. The next building was across the street. She could climb down, but then there was no way she could outdistance them it would take so long. Besides, in the corner of her eye, Cyborg was right there.

Then the red light of a security camera caught her attention. Putting a finger to her ear, she asked, "Slade, you watching?"

"Why aren't you moving? The Titans will be there any second."

"Have you seen this gap? I can't jump that!"

"You've never hesitated before."

"I've never been this powerless before! Even before the rain started, my powers were…dimmed somehow."

"You are not helpless."

"You're starting to repeat yourself." She snapped.

"Sara, listen to me. You have powers that most people only dream of. Are you really going to let drops of water stop you?"

Ouch. "What do you expect me to do? My powers are gone!"

"You're weaker than a thunderstorm? Hm. Perhaps I made a mistake taking you in. Maybe you don't have the potential I thought."

She glowered at the camera. "Fine. Just gimme a sec."

"Oriole, please. You need not run any further." Sara spun around to see Starfire, Raven and Beast Boy right behind her.

She backed away. Then stopped. Checked herself. _Why am I running away when I'm the one with the gun?_ She aimed just above Starfire's shoulder (just to scare her) and pulled the trigger…but the clip was empty. With a frustrated growl, she tossed the gun away. "Apparently I do."

"We don't want to hurt you." Raven said.

Sara laughed. "That's rich coming from you." Think! Then…all at once, fire roared to life in her hands, launching at the three heroes, and images flashed behind her eyes. Memories? Fire? But how? A smaller, wiser voice in her mind crowed, _Who cares? Run!_ The jump. Could she make it now? With her powers working, it just might-

"Dude, we're just trying to help! Uh, dudette," Beast Boy laughed nervously at his mistake.

Another wave of flames distracted them just long enough for her to leap. But as she tumbled through the stinging rain and blowing wind, she realized that she couldn't transform. She screamed, and a voice called out her name. Suddenly, she was pressed against another wet body, an arm supporting her as they swung through the air.

It was Batman. Robin was waiting for them where Batman dropped her off. He unclipped his cape from his shoulders and wrapped it around her. "Here, you need it more than I do." She backed away, shaking her head. Running into Batman's chest.

She tried to blow another fireball his way, but it fizzled before she could do anything with it. No powers. _Gotta do this the old fashioned way._ Without warning, she lashed out a kick at Robin (how many times can he fall for that?), but Bruce caught her upper arms before she could squirm away.

"Lemme go!" As if on cue, a blast of heat blew him back and she felt his grip loosen just long enough for her to rip herself free. With that, she stole his grappling hook and leaped down to the ground, clutching onto the rope like a lifeline. When her feet finally touched the ground, a bat-shaped shadow appeared over her.

With a gasp, she leaped to safety before Batman landed right where she'd been sitting. A wall of fire separated them in the alley, but she spotted Robin and Starfire flying after her. Pulling a dagger out of her boot, she tossed it near Starfire's head. It barely missed.

With all of her opponents distracted, Sara disappeared into the crowd of people hurrying to their homes to get out of the rain.

But she didn't go to the rendezvous point.

"Sara? Have you escaped yet? If not-"

"I'm fine. I lost them about an hour ago."

A pause. "Then why haven't you met up with Wintergreen?"

"I'm not coming back. Not yet."

"Excuse me? That's not your decision, young lady. Now stop playing games and-" That's when Sara crushed the earpiece underfoot.

At dawn, some of Double C's goons caught up with her. They cornered her in an empty alley. There were only five of them. And the rain stopped six hours ago. Four of them fell easily but the last one was clearly trained better. He dodged and weaved and actually managed to shoot her in the shoulder. But with her powers working, it healed. Unfortunately, Sara's healing powers drained her energy. So she couldn't dodge the next bullet. It hit directly in the center of her chest.

With a cry of pain, she fell sprawled on her back, chest heaving as she tried to breathe past the bullet buried deep in her chest. The goon approached her, his gun aimed at her head. The sight of the barrel infuriated her and she found the strength to pull the bullet out of her by heating it and moving it with her pyrokinetic ability and kicked him right in the jaw.

A ring of fire surrounded him, and she glared at him, enjoying the sweat that leaked from his pores. He spat on the ground at her feet.

Sara chuckled. "Bad move." Her eyes darkened to the deepest midnight black and the man choked and panted as his blood began to boil. His skin bubbled. A strangled scream leaped from his throat.

A few minutes later, he finally exploded. Gore went splat on the walls, bits of skin littering the asphalt. Hot blood splattered Sara's outfit. She smiled grimly. "That's what you get for trying to kill me."

The trail of memories ended with the brief flashes, no matter how much Sara tried to remember or how far she ran. So she returned to the Haunt. Of course Slade was pissed (more than that). But, he said he got some good footage of her for the Titans. So that seemed to calm him…somewhat.

She said nothing about the boiling man. After a few minutes of letting it sink in, she'd broken down into tears. When she broke into an apartment, she scrubbed her skin raw in the shower and stole some new clothes from a nearby store.

Thoughts like _what have I done?_ and_ what kind of monster am I?_ ran through her mind. But now she knew that she belonged with an assassin. There was a cold-blooded killer part of her that she couldn't deny. Only Slade could help her control it.

But a different image was imprinted to the back of her eyelids. Slade…standing over her dead parents.

**Author's Note:** I honestly didn't expect this chapter to be so long. I guess I had a lot to catch up in. Well, now can you see why these two chapters took so long? I'm sorry if I freaked anyone out, but this really foreshadows some of what will be discussed in the next chapter: Chapter 41: Interrogation.


	46. Chapter 41: Interrogation

**For disclaimer, see previous chapters.**

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone! I'm sorry I haven't written in a while, but from now on things are gonna get a little hectic. I'm not very good at time managing, so please forgive me. I may be inconsistent but I'll do everything I can to post every week. And since we're nearing the end of our story, writing should go a little faster. As an apology, this chapter is extra long and contains extra drama. Thanks for sticking with me! You guys are awesome!

Chapter 41: Interrogation

Robin

4:00 am

Titans Tower

Interrogation Room

Robin couldn't sleep. He had nightmares. Ones of Sara. In some he was protecting her but failed, watched her die. In others, she was protecting him and Slade killed her. In the worst ones Sara was the villain, trying to kill him. Even though Sara proved that she was one of the bad guys now, it wasn't as if he could just throw out those years of fighting side-by-side in Gotham, or playing pranks on Alfred every once in a while, or how many times she'd fled into his arms after a nightmare or vision. In every way but blood, she was his sister.

He rubbed the sleepiness out of his eyes and gazed through the two-way mirrors of the interrogation room in Titans Tower. Evidently, Sara couldn't sleep either. Well, not easily anyway. Every once in a while, she twitched in her sleep and mumbled inaudible words in her sleep. Robin turned the volume up on the speakers, trying to make out what she was saying. All he was able to hear were three words: dead, burned and boiled. What was she dreaming about?

He returned the volume back to normal, and leaned back in his seat. Then Robin bent over the files lying out on the desk he sat at. Though he read these files so many times, he thought he might spot something he'd missed before. But the one little secret in Slade's files remained frustratingly elusive.

Suddenly, Sara jumped to her feet with a scream and cried out with pain as the cuffs dug into her wrists. She struggled against the restraints. They didn't budge. She tried heating them. No cigar.

"What…where am I?" She asked the empty room.

Robin pressed the intercom button and replied, "Titans Tower."

She jumped at the sound of his disembodied voice. Her eyes searched the room then spied the two two-way mirrors. Then, with a laugh, she plopped back down in her seat and mused, "I'm locked in an interrogation room." Sara chuckled and shook her head. "Ah, the irony. Alright, Bird Boy, you got me here. So now what?"

"Nothing yet. Now you get some rest." Robin replied, his voice even and emotionless. What Sara used to call his "you're-in-hot-water" voice.

She snorted contemptuously. "What will you do if I won't?"

"Nothing. It was just a suggestion. After all, it's only four."

Sara stared at the mirror so intently, he almost thought that she could see him. But no, that was impossible. She might be able to sense him, but she wouldn't be able to see him. She leaned back in her chair and smirked. "You know Slade's coming for me right? He'll tear you all apart. Oh, and by the way, he took a contract to kill Batman. He wants me to do it."

Robin's eyes narrowed. Of course he did. He couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't. Already it would be hard to revert Sara back to Oriole; killing Bruce would only make things worse. And of course, there was the fact that his guardian would be dead. Bruce dead. Something that'd never crossed his mind in a coherent thought. Oh sure, he knew what he was supposed to do if the unthinkable did happen, but that did mean anything. Besides all of those reasons, the most heartfelt one was that Robin couldn't lose anyone else. But, instead of voicing his thoughts, he said nothing.

Sara chuckled. "That shut you up."

Starfire shook his shoulder. Robin jumped as he woke up out of a nightmare. When he saw Starfire, he took a deep breath and wiped sweat from his forehead. "What time is it?"

"Eight in the morning," She replied in a soft voice. "Robin, you are alright yes?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. It was just a dream." Sniffing at the air, he detected maple syrup. "Who's making breakfast?"

"Cyborg. Raven has a cup of herbal tea awaiting you. She said that it would do you some good." Her eyes wandered over to the girl glaring at the mirrors. There were bags under Sara's eyes. Had she been awake the whole time? That would explain the dream. Starfire interrupted his train of thought, "Robin, how long will she remain here?"

"In the interrogation room? It depends."

"On what?" She almost sounded afraid to ask.

The answer wasn't very feel-good anyway. "On how much Slade messed her up. Hopefully she won't be here long. But…well, that's more optimistic than realistic."

Starfire squeezed his hand. "I am sorry. I know you care for her."

A sad smile twitched on his lips, "Yeah…not in the way I care about you though." When Starfire smiled, he pecked her on the lips and said, "Come on. Otherwise the others'll eat all the breakfast."

When they reached the common room, a strange silence hung over the room. The usual turmoil between Cyborg and Beast Boy about tofu was gone. So was Raven's occasional interjections about shutting up so she could meditate. Instead they had breakfast in silence. Robin loosened his collar. Was it just him or was it hot in there?

Starfire spoke up, "Friends, why are you so upset? We are close to saving Oriole! We should be celebrating."

"It's not that easy, Star." Cyborg contradicted.

"Yes it is," Robin said, as if challenging Cyborg to object.

Cyborg being Cyborg, he did. "She could've killed one of us last night, Rob. I don't think it's possible for her to-"

"It is possible. Let me worry about Oriole. The rest of you should be focusing on finding Slade."

"Except for me." Raven snapped. "You need a telepath to help you with her."

The way both Cyborg and Raven said "her" or "she" irritated him. But honestly, he didn't quite know what to say to Raven. So he chose to ignore her…for now. "Look guys, this isn't her fault. None of it is. Slade did something to her. Isn't it our job to save people from monsters like him?"

"Not when they become murderers."

"I could've killed someone when I was Slade's apprentice. Would you be hesitating if it was me?"

"Dude, that's not the same-"

"It's exactly the same!"

"But you wouldn't've killed one of us, would you?" Starfire murmured.

Robin felt cornered. Which made no sense. He was among friends. So why did he feel so outnumbered? "Well, no, but-"

"Exactly. This is different. She almost killed Raven last night." Beast Boy said.

"It's not her fault."

"Then who's is it?" Raven snapped.

"Slade's. He did something to her."

"Robin, I looked in her mind last night. That person fighting us was Oriole, not Slade. She was in full control of her abilities."

"Could she remember anything?" Robin asked.

Raven's lips pressed together. Robin took the opportunity to say, "Oriole stays. We're going to help her because that's what we do." Silence. Robin plopped down next to Beast Boy at the counter and grabbed the extra cup of herbal tea that Raven set out for him. He served himself one of the pile of pancakes Cyborg made and asked, "Now, who has the syrup?"

Sara

10:00 am

Titans Tower

Sara glared at Robin as he walked in with a plate of pancakes and a syrup pitcher. When he placed it in front of her and unlocked one of her wrists, he said, "I thought you might be hungry."

Her eyes narrowed and she turned her head away, even though her mouth watered at the smell of the maple syrup. If she'd only been out a day, her last meal was breakfast two days ago.

Robin sighed. "Look, I'm just trying to offer an olive branch here. The least you can do is-"

"The least I can do? The least **I** can do? What about you? You break into my home, attack me, have your witch trap me and wait for your robot buddy to knock me out cold with sounds so high-pitched my ears could've bled and you expect me to take some pancakes and spontaneously trust you? You're out of your mind. Now, either go away or send me home."

He stared at her, his mouth slightly open in shock. Unfortunately, she found that silence was almost worse than his infuriating ego. So she snapped, "Would you quit gawking at me like that? It's kinda freaky."

Robin's muscles loosened slightly and he cleared his throat, "Sorry, it's just…Sara, what do you remember before working for Slade?"

"I know that my parents were murdered by someone after their powers. After that my uncle took me in, until he was killed." He looked relieved and slumped back in his chair, but she wasn't finished yet. "But I also know that after my uncle passed away, Slade took me in." When he did a double-take, she chuckled and said, "What? Isn't that on my file?"

"How do you know that Slade took you in?" He asked coldly. His voice had changed from friendly and charming to serious and deadly in less than a few seconds. In this way, he was a lot like Slade.

"Because he told me."

"And you believe him?" It was as if gullible was written on her forehead the way he laughed at her.

Her eyes narrowed. "Yeah, I do. 'Cause unlike some of us, I trust people to not stab me in the back." …Where had that come from? She didn't know if that was true. How could she? After all, she hardly knew the guy. Then again, she hardly knew anyone else either.

Robin raised an eyebrow. "I'm not telling you that you shouldn't trust people. I'm just telling you that you shouldn't trust that particular person."

"Look, there's no proof that he was lying."

"Yeah, there is. Before you even knew about Slade you were the Oriole. You were a hero. You helped save a lot of people, Sara. You weren't a killer."

Now it was her turn to laugh. "You rotten little liar. I don't remember much but I do remember an old friend of mind: Ricky Coleman. After my uncle died, he helped me. He trained me how to kill. We worked for Two-Face, right?" When Robin didn't answer, she smirked, "That's what I thought. See? You don't know anything about me."

Robin opened his mouth to snap back at her, but the door opened behind him. Sara's blood ran cold. Raven floated into the room and sat cross-legged in mid-air next to Robin.

"Raven?" A flicker of fear chilled her spine. Was she here to erase her memory again? She squirmed in her seat, but refused to let her fear show. Instead, she narrowed her eyes. "Get away from me."

Raven merely narrowed her eyes and said firmly, "No. Not until I know you'll never go back to Slade." Her eyes began to glow a brilliant white.

"Go to hell, you bi-" She cut off with a strangled cry as the room around them began fading around them. As she watched, an orange glow that used to be the ocean reflected in her eyes, buildings looked like skeletons, and the people…turned to stone. The sky was a deep, bloodthirsty red. She shivered, even though it was very humid. Titans Tower stood in the sea of lava, all of its former glory now transformed into a ghost. The city looked like a bomb went off. Next to the tower they were standing on, were statues of the Titans. They were all frozen with horrified looks on their faces as they were being pulled down by some sort of humanoid demons or zombies. Except Raven was missing. Oh, wait, there she was, standing next to Slade, watching with them, looking just as horrified as Robin felt. But that was past-Raven. Present-Raven was perched next to Sara, her hood over her face so that he couldn't see her expression. Translation: she didn't want anyone seeing her own horror.

"This…this is the vision Slade showed you isn't it?" Robin asked in a shaky, hollow voice.

"What are you talking about?" Sara's voice was so soft it was almost inaudible. She wanted to just close her eyes and run away from what she was saying, but was rooted to the spot.

"This is the world Slade wanted me to cause. I could've brought a demon here that would've destroyed the world." Raven said in a monotone. "This is the vision he showed me about the end of the world. He wanted this to happen."

Sara shook her head. "No. You…you're lying. No one could ever want this for the world. No one."

"Really? Listen to him then." Robin snapped, gesturing to past-Slade and past-Raven.

"Yes…look at it. Drink it in. Behold the world you were destined to create." Slade's voice echoed, since it was so quiet. Raven caws and whistling wind sounded amplified.

Sara backed away and clapped her hands to her ears. But this was all in their heads, so she heard it regardless. In the distance, a red, giant, horned demon rose from the lava and roared at the crimson sky.

"No! I won't do it!" Past-Raven held her head, shutting her eyes tight as she willed the images away. "This is just a vision. This can't be real!"

Slade took Raven's shoulder and hissed in her ear, "This is the future. Your future-"

"Stop. Raven, stop it! Please!" She didn't mean to sound so desperate, but she could sense past-Raven's fear and distress.

Then she heard Slade say, "-and nothing can stop it. This will come to pass. I will make sure of it."

"STOP!" Sara screamed, throwing everyone out of Raven's mind. Fire sparked to life in her hands, the cuffs around her wrists grew red hot, but didn't burn. Her eyes were black with hate and anger. She thrashed, she struggled, she screamed in rage. But finally, she slumped back down in her seat, panting, fire snuffed out. She could feel Raven's infuriatingly calm eyes on her. "What did you just do to me?" She hissed.

"I showed you my memory. But because you're a telepath, you felt what I'd been feeling at the time."

"I hope you rot in hell, you bitch."

Her insult didn't even dent Raven's shield of indifference. "Did you know that he worked for Trigon and almost helped destroy the world?"

"That's a lie!" She roared. That wasn't possible. Slade had always been there to help her. How could she possibly doubt him-

"Actually it isn't." Robin contradicted.

She felt breathless all of a sudden. Her chest heaved as panic constricted her throat. She squeezed her eyes shut and bent over her hands, chanting, "That's not true. It can't be." If she believed this, then what other secrets was Slade hiding from her?"

Raven's eyes flashed white again and Sara bolted to her feet, "Get out of my head!"

"I'm showing you one of Robin's memories first." Raven elaborated. Robin cocked an eyebrow and looked at her. Then he didn't know what she was going to do.

But still, she felt scared. Of what, she didn't know, but she felt very, very scared. "No! No more memories!"

But the bitch didn't listen. Sara blinked to adjust her eyes to the darkness. Past-Robin stood in the center. They were in what must be the Haunt before it was blown up. On the computer screens ahead of them were pictures of bloodstreams with some kinds of microscopic computers on top of them, with a slyly curved S written on them. The names of four of the Titans were listed below each of the four pictures. Slade stood in front of the computer screens. Present-Robin's eyes widened, "No. Raven, stop it." He sounded terrified. Which, in turn, scared Sara even more so.

"Nano-scopic probes," Past-Slade explained behind them. "The cronaton detonator was merely the bait for a much larger trap. You see, with the push of a button, my probes will destroy your friends from the inside out."

"You can't control them." Past-Robin countered defiantly. "No matter what you threaten, they'll never obey you."

"This isn't about your friends, Robin. It's about you. It's always been about you."

Past-Robin's eyes were the size of saucers. "What?"

Meanwhile, present-Robin demanded, "Raven, don't! Get us out of here." But Sara barely heard him. Her eyes were glued to the memory unfolded before her.

"Do you want Oriole to know the truth or not?" Raven snapped.

"Raven, this is the day that Slade blackmailed me to become his apprentice. I don't want to relive this."

Wait, what? _Become_ his apprentice. But Slade said-

"You can't leave while we're here in your thoughts. I'm sorry." Raven turned back to the scene, and Sara allowed herself to do the same.

"-for some time now, I've been searching for an apprentice. Someon to follow in my footsteps." Past-Slade explained. "And Robin, I've chosen you. Congratulations."

Sara shook her head. "This isn't right. It can't be. You…you were in your uniform. Slade said-"

"He lied. He's been lying to you from the very beginning."

"No. He couldn't've. I would've sense it." Sara insisted. Yes, that was it. Proof that the Titans were lying to her. But then again, wouldn't she be able to sense that too? But Raven's a telepath! Then again, so is Slade.

"You've been having trouble with your powers lately, haven't you?" Raven pointed out.

Sara promptly turned back to the memory. She had to find something. Some evidence that everything she knew wasn't a lie.

"No way would I ever work for-" past-Robin cut off as Slade lifted the trigger that would've destroyed the Titans.

"If you join me, if you swear to serve me, if you never speak to your friends again, I will allow them to live. But. If you disobey even the smallest request, I will annihilate them, Robin, and I'll make you watch. So, do we have a deal?" There was a smile in past-Slade voice. Given the look on past-Robin's face, anyone could know that he would agree, if grudgingly.

"I think that'll be enough." Raven said, pulling them out of the memory.

Sara hadn't found it. The proof that Slade hadn't lied to her. Did that mean that the Titans were telling the truth? Or did it just mean that she was blind to everything around her?

She buried her head in her hands – which was hard, given the fact her wrists were bound to the table.

"Well?" Raven asked.

"Give her a minute," Robin murmured. "Sara? Are you alright?"

She looked up at them with hate in her eyes. It wasn't true. They were lying to her, fabricating all of this. Slade warned her to never fall for their tricks. Sara was prepared. "Get out of my head." She hissed at Raven. Her eyes snapped to Robin. "And you. Don't act so innocent. You're a part of their little schemes too."

"Oh, I'm not done yet." Raven said. Her damned eyes turned white once again. But she couldn't stop her.

She felt Raven trying to penetrate the Void, where her memories were being kept. It was the moment of truth. If Raven could get in, then she did erase Sara's memories and that proved Slade innocent. But strangely, she couldn't find the entrance. Oh my God. Raven really didn't erase her memories. But if Raven didn't. Then who-

Then, suddenly, the trio was standing in a field. Crows cawed. A little girl with black hair ran past them.

"Momma? Daddy?"

Sara's eyes widened. Her parents' farm. She backed away. "Stop. Take me back," she demanded, trying to keep a handle on her voice.

"Raven, where are we?" Robin asked.

BANG! Sara flinched. Before she knew what she was doing, she ran through the wheat field as fast as she could.

"Momma! Daddy!" Her younger self screamed.

Sara paused just before she reached the house. Did she really want to see? After a few deep breaths, she pushed past the last stalks and held back tears at the sight of her parents' dead bodies. The green eyes she'd inherited from her mother stared lifelessly at the puffy clouds above. Without hesitation, she looked straight up at the man who murdered her family…and gasped.

"No, that can't be." But it was. Slade.

He pointed the gun at past-Sara's head, saying, "Run along little girl, before I change my mind about sparing you."

With a whimper, past-Sara scrambled up the porch steps and into the house.

"GO AWAY!" Sara screamed at the top of her lungs. The force of Sara's fury knocked Raven into the two-way glass and singed Robin's suit and eyebrows.

Somehow, the heat of her raw anger and betrayal melted the supposedly unmeltable hand cuffs. Bounding over the table, she pinned Robin to the wall by the throat. "Did you know about this?"

"Sara, listen to me-" Sara cut him off by squeezing his neck tighter.

"Shut up! I'm done listening! You lied to me!"

"He didn't lie to you," Raven snapped. "Let him go and we'll explain everything."

"No! For once, will someone just tell me the truth! Was that real? Was everything you showed me real?"

"Let Robin go and I'll tell you."

Tears stung her eyes. Her parents…did Slade really kill her parents? Grudgingly she released Robin, who slid to the floor holding his throat and coughing loud, chronic coughs.

Raven moved to help him, but Sara barred her way. "Answer me. Now. Did Slade kill my parents?"

Raven held her glare with her usual stoic expression. "Yes." She was telling the truth. There was no denying it. Everything fit. The sense of hatred toward Slade felt familiar, felt right.

Sara screeched in rage. She ran to the door and slammed her body against the open-out-only door, but it wouldn't give. Spinning around to face Raven, she demanded, "Let me go!"

Robin and Raven exchanged glances. Raven replied simply, "Why should we?"

"So I can kill him."

"No!" Robin blurted.

"You hate him too." She hissed.

"Dammit, Raven, this is why I didn't want you to show her this-"

"Excuse me? What right do you have in judging what I remember or not?"

"Because you're not ready. Not yet. Your mind is still…well, you're still an assassin."

"Of course I am! Because I've been looking for _him_! The man that took my family away from me! That's the whole reason I accepted Coleman's help."

"Sara, all I can say is, don't do it. It's not what you think it'd be."

"He killed my family! You think I should let him get away with it!"

"Listen to me. If you kill him, you won't find peace. There won't be any…closure, for lack of a better word. You won't feel any better and you sure as hell won't stop thinking about your parents."

"What's your excuse?" Sara snapped.

Robin's brow crinkled in confusion. "What?"

"I read up on you. Your parents were murdered by Tony Zucco. Is he dead? You talking from personal experience?"

Robin scowled. "No, but I know what happens to people who find revenge. And anyway, this isn't about me."

"Uh huh. Are you so sure about that?"

"What're you talking about?"

She shrugged, knowing that she had him right where she wanted him. "Well, if you supposedly found this "closure" as you call it…I wonder, would you really be wearing that mask?"

"This isn't about me!" He repeated.

"Isn't it?"

"Dammit Sara! There's no coming back from this! Ever, you hear me? Never."

"There's already no coming back! You think you can save my soul or some such bullshit nonsense but you can't. It's not your job to save everyone, Ro." Oh shit. Did she just call him Ro? Crap. Thankfully, Robin didn't seem to notice.

"You can only save yourself." He murmured.

She glared at him. But she could feel her heart lurch as he looked at her with…recognition. He knew. He knew that she remembered some small part of it at least. With a sigh, she replied softly, "How do you know I'm worth saving?"

"You are."

"Why? Why me? Why am I so important? Why does it fall on you to save me?"

"You don't remember, but you're my sister, Sair. Maybe not by blood but we grew up together in Gotham. I promised you that I would never let you go back to your assassin days. I did everything I could, and I'm still trying to pull you out of the fire. The problem is you won't trust me long enough to take my hand. But it's not too late." He reached out a hand to her. "The roof hasn't collapsed on you yet."

She looked down at his hand, then up at his face. She gazed at him for ages, trying so damn hard to remember something, anything, about him, about Gotham, about the Titans, about anything other than Slade, but ones about Slade were the only ones that surfaced. Finally, she turned and walked calmly back over to her seat. She remolded the hand cuffs over her wrists and said, "You shouldn't trust me, Robin. You really shouldn't."

**Author's Note:** I gotta admit, this episode kinda scared me. I'm good at mind-fucking with my characters. And it's so much fun! Okay, so next is Vignette 5: Mirror, Mirror. This one should be posted fairly soon. Stay tuned! Thanks for reading!


	47. Vignette 5: Mirror, Mirror

**For disclaimer, see previous chapters.**

**Author's Note: ** This is one of those in depth chapters, and one of those mind fuck moments. You'll see what I mean at the end.

Vignette 5: Mirror, Mirror

Robin

3:00 pm

Titans Tower

Two Days Later

Robin watched through the two-way mirror at the girl he once trusted with his life. Now though…he didn't know this girl. This confused, shattered, tortured girl staring at herself in the mirror, searching for something- what that something was, he had no inclination- was a complete mystery. On the other hand, it wasn't hard to guess her story. After all, most of it he already knew. But there was so much about Sara's powers and the effects of amnesia, let alone their effects on her powers - ie: her black eyes - that he didn't understand. Her eyes switched from her reflection, down to her hands resting in her lap. Robin released her from the cuffs yesterday, so now she had a little more freedom. Then she looked back up at her reflection.

So, after a moment of trying to figure out what she was looking for, he opened the door and closed it behind him. "Sara?"

Without looking at him, she asked urgently, "What do you see?"

"I see you staring at your reflection." He replied. Blunt responses seemed to draw the most reaction from her. This time was no exception.

She rolled her eyes and glared at him. "No, that's not what I meant." She returned her gaze back to her reflection. "When you look at me…what do you see?"

Robin sighed. "If I told you, it would end just as bad as yesterday." Remembering the experience, Robin raised a hand to his forehead. Yup, the burn was still there.

Sara winced. "I'm sor- uh, how is it healing?" Was she about to say I'm sorry?

He shrugged. "It's nothing, really. It looks a lot worse than it is. What about you?"

Eyebrows knitted together, she turned to him with a look of confusion. "What do you mean? I'm not hurt."

"Physically, no. But emotionally-"

"I'm fine. I just…"She sighed and stared at her reflection. "Robin, I don't know who I am anymore. Who I should listen to. Who I can trust. And you know me better than anyone here. Please, just tell me who I am. Who I was. What I've done. I honestly don't care whose side I'm on; I just want some answers." She was on the verge of begging. But the burn on his forehead wouldn't let him give in.

"Sara-" He cut off as her angry eyes glowered at him.

"I need to know the truth! I remember just one week. Just one! Do you know how scary it is not knowing who you are? I have to depend on other people to remember everything for me and no one will tell me the truth! And I'm so tired of it! I need to know it for myself. The truth. All of it. Good and bad."

"How do you expect me to tell you anything when you don't believe me?"

"Just tell me a story. Any story. Something that tells me something about myself."

He shook his head, though the pleading in her eyes and voice almost got to him. "Look, Sara, I'm not a psychologist expert. I don't know how to get your memory back."

"But-"

At Robin's raised hand, Sara grudgingly fell silent. "So I asked Raven to try and help you."

"I don't want her help! She's already tried to "help" once and look at what hap-"

"I know, I know. Raven didn't want to come either. But she did give me a piece of advice for you."

Sara snorted.

"She told me that the mind has to discover things for itself. If I just tell you, you won't really remember and you won't feel any better, no matter what you think."

"So her solution is to leave me out to dry." She laughed humorlessly. To be perfectly honest, he didn't much like Raven's advice either. "Thanks a lot, Raven!" Her fist pounded the wall next to the mirror. So hard that her knuckles were bleeding. "Great, now my hands are all f-ed up. Perfect." Robin noted that she said f-ed up instead of fucked up. It wasn't ground-breaking work, but it was enough for Robin to feel that they were getting somewhere.

Before he could tear off a piece of his cape to use it as a bandage for Sara's knuckles, they began to heal. Earlier, she'd been having problems with her powers. So maybe they were getting further than he thought. "I know you're frustrated, but I wasn't finished. Her suggestion was that I take you back to Gotham, just for a few days."

She raised an eyebrow. "Why? What's in Gotham?"

"Wayne Manor," he replied, hoping the name might trigger something.

"Why would Wayne Manor mean anything for…?" Sara trailed off, staring off into the distance. Suddenly, she blinked at stared at him. After what seemed like forever, she murmured, "Things aren't always what they seem…Have I…you know, been to Gotham before?"

Robin nodded. Had she remembered something. Maybe. "Yeah, you used to live there."_ With Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth and Dick Grayson, but we'll get to that later._ He added in thought.

"Yeah…" she muttered, looking back at her reflection. "Strange question, but what day is it?"

Good question. He checked his communicator for the date. Oh God. No wonder why she asked. With a gulp, he replied quietly, "November 28th." The day her parents were murdered.

With a slow nod, she whispered in a choked voice, "I thought so." She closed her eyes and hugged her waist. "May I leave? Please? I just…I just wanna see my parents."

Even though Sara could hardly remember her parents, she still loved them with all her heart. Not even a forced amnesia could stop that. Sara, at heart, was a lover not a fighter. She fought only when she had to. This girl standing before him was the most Sara-like she acted since Slade wiped her memory. But she wasn't all the way there yet.

Before Robin could answer, Sara sighed. "Nevermind. It's a bad idea. I can't leave the city. Not yet."

"Why not?"

She looked up at him, surprised. "You would've let me go?" When he nodded, she spluttered, "But-but I've been so…well…unstable. You'd really let me go?"

"If that's what you want," to a certain degree. If she asked to go anywhere that was either too far away or too dangerous, then hell no! But he didn't say that, of course.

Sara studied him, her eyes still that deep black. He usually only saw those black eyes when she lost control of her powers. Basically, she'd become a ticking time bomb. He was skating on thin ice. Then she sighed, "I can't leave. Moving would mean being out in the open. While I don't entirely trust you or the Titans, I sure as hell don't trust Slade. His story…it had more than a few holes in it. Just because I lose my memory doesn't mean I'm stupid."

A long, cold silence hung in the room like a dark cloud casting its shadow. Sara suddenly found her shoes very interesting to look at. Uncomfortably, she rubbed her arm. Finally, "Robin…could you…is it possible…" -sigh- "is there any way you could send some flowers to my parents' graves. Do you know the address - ?"

"Your parents were moved to Wayne Manor. We thought it might help you settle in." With a small smile, he added, "Besides, you laid flowers on their graves before you left Gotham City. If it makes you feel better, Batman will be heading back for a few hours tomorro-"

"Not him." She snapped.

"What?"

"Not him." Sara insisted. "Not Batman. I don't trust him."

"No one does."

"This isn't a joke!" Flames sparked to life, caressing her arms like a lover would. But they died just a few seconds later. "I know I shouldn't listen to Slade but I did and I think he's right about one thing: Batman can't be trusted."

**Author's Note:** If you thought that Sara wasn't _that_ messed up, you guessed wrong. There's some mind fuck for you right there. One of the people she trusted the most and all of a sudden "Batman can't be trusted". Damn it, Slade!

Review please!


	48. Chapter 42: Enough is Enough

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing except the plot and my OC.

**Author's Note: **This is not THE plot twist, but it is a plot twist. So pay attention! ENJOY!

REVIEW!

Oriole

Chapter 42: Enough is Enough

Robin

3:30 pm

Titans Tower

Interrogation Room

"Batman can't be trusted." Sara growled, her eyes showing that inner flame that Robin hadn't seen in her eyes in ages.

So, instead of argue with her, he replied, "I'm sorry you think that." Then he walked slowly to the door, waiting patiently for the-

"Wait!"

Robin hid a small grin and turned back to her, raising a quizzical eyebrow.

Sara gnawed on her bottom lip. Her hand started unconsciously rubbing her arm. "Could you…uh…" then she scoffed and said half to herself, "Can't believe I'm saying this. Could you ask Raven if she would come in here? …Please?"

Okay, first: wow! She's asking nicely! And second: why Raven? She's been insisting that Raven leave her alone. Intrigued, Robin commented, "Well I could. But Raven wouldn't want to talk to you in here if you weren't cuffed. She doesn't exactly agree with me letting you roam free in here." He was pushing it, he knew that, but something about the way she asked for Raven made her seem more…well, more her. Less…hostile.

Sara nodded and bit her lip again. Calmly, she sat back down into her chair and hesitantly placed her wrists into the manacles.

Robin opened his mouth to ask why she wanted to talk to Raven, then thought better of it and excused himself. When he closed the door behind him, the entire team was staring at Raven. Raven, however, was studying Sara, her usual mask of indifference placed carefully on her face.

Robin clicked the manacle button on the console, watching Sara jump as the metal cuffs clamped shut over her wrists. He turned to Raven. "I assume you all heard what she said?"

Everyone but Raven nodded, dumbfounded. Raven merely shrugged.

"And? Any idea why she wants to talk to you?"

"I know as much as you do, Robin." Raven replied tiredly. She stood up calmly and brushed past Robin on her way to the door.

"You sure you want to do this, Rae? I mean, she burned Robin's forehead." Cyborg pointed out.

"Yes, perhaps Oriole needs some time before she is ready to face you." Starfire agreed.

"Yeah, and she kinda hates you." Beast Boy added.

"I don't even know what "this" is yet. Maybe she just wanted to ask me something." Raven said. She turned her back on them and opened the door, whispering to Robin on her way out, "Just wait in here. If I need you, I'll say so." Before Robin could object, she shut the door in his face.

"You think this is a good idea, man?" Cyborg asked.

"If it were up to me, Sara wouldn't be cuffed. She's cool. Just…a little confused."

Beast Boy snorted and said under his breath, "A little?"

"Robin, Oriole will be okay again soon, yes?" Starfire asked.

"I don't know." Robin replied.

Meanwhile, Raven sat down in the chair opposite Sara. "You wanted to see me?"

Sara bit her lip. "Yeah…I, uh…I'm sorry if I scared you or anything like that. I just…well, I really don't have an excuse but-"

"Why did you want to see me? I thought you hated me."

"I don't. Actually, I…I need your help."

Raven raised an eyebrow.

"I know it sounds suspicious in spite of everything that's happened, but I need you to help me. I want to remember something…anything. Something that'll prove…nevermind."

"That'll prove I wasn't making up memories?"

Sara chewed on her lip again. "Well..."

"What do you want, Sara?"

"The only thing blocking me from my memories is this…cloud in my head. It's making everything I do remember distorted and only shows me half the truth."

"So what do you want me to do about it?"

"Well, I can't break through it. I'm not strong enough, not alone. I was thinking that…maybe together...?"

"You know I would see everything right?"

Sara nodded.

"But you don't trust me. Why ask me to do something that clearly requires trust?"

"Let's just say I'm desperate and leave it at that, okay?" Sara's voice suddenly hardened.

Raven didn't miss it either. "You're afraid. You're afraid of what might happen to you if you can't remember."

"How many amnesia movies have you seen that end happily? There's a reason for that. 'Cause sometimes memory is the only thing that makes you valuable to someone else. Me to you Titans, for example. You wanted information. That's why you took me."

Raven shook her head. "If you think that, you haven't been listening to Robin at all."

She just shrugged. "As of late, he hasn't seemed to be in the helping mood. In any case, memories aren't just information and faces that you've seen, people you've met. It's also personality. Someone without memory, without any prejudices, is easily manipulated. Look what happened to me. Listened to the man that took my parents from me. And experiences mold personality. Sad but true. And besides, you know how much it sucks having to ask other people who you're supposed to be. If you try acting like the person that one guy says you were, then you're screwed. So yeah, I'm scared. If you lost everything, so would you." The last bit of her speech turned her voice stony and hostile. While it was kind of harsh, it made Robin feel empathetic for her.

Raven was silent for a while. Until finally, "Then what are we waiting for? Robin, open Sara's cuffs for me please."

"What?" Sara asked, startled.

"If we're gonna do this, we need to trust each other. So I'm extending an olive branch. Robin, any time today."

Robin went over to it, but Cyborg caught his arm. "Man, this is a bad idea. She's not herself. Star's right, we gotta give Oriole some time. She's just too dangerous."

"You don't trust Raven?" Robin challenged.

"It is not Raven we do not trust. It is Oriole. And you cannot deny that we have no reason to trust her. Recently, she has become very…violent."

Robin wrenched his arm free of Cyborg's grip and punched the button. Cyborg scowled at him, but said nothing and sat back down in his chair. "Look, I get that it's hard to trust her. But she's still Oriole. She's still our friend. If it were any of you, I'd be doing the same thing."

No one said anything; though it was clear they weren't convinced. Back in the interrogation room, Raven took Sara's hands and said, "Now try to relax. It might help."

Sara laughed. "You sound like a voodoo witch doctor or something."

Raven closed her eyes, Sara following suit, and both girls concentrated. For a while, it seemed to be working: Sara's muscles relaxing, and she seemed to be at peace. But then, Raven snapped out of it, scowling, "I said relax!"

"It wasn't me! It was that thing, whatever it is."

"Not a thing. A person. Slade's still in your head. I'll help, but you have to let me in completely or this isn't going to work."

Robin hit the comm button and said, " What's going on?"

"Her memories are being blocked by Slade still. We're gonna have to fight him off. Don't bother sticking around. This'll take a while."

Sara groaned. "I hope not. Psychic battles give me a headache."

"You remember?" Raven wondered.

Sara shook her head. "Nope. Just know it's a fact. I think my head still remembers the pain."

"You sure you wanna go through with this, guys…uh, girls?"

Sara rolled her eyes at his correction. Raven just ignored it and replied, "I want to help. Sara? You still want to-?"

"I told you already. Enough is enough. I'm tired of this amnesia thing. It's annoying. Let's just get this over with."

Raven nodded. "Alright. If you're sure…"

"I'm sure. Let's do this."

The girls grasped each other's hands, determination lit in their eyes, as they entered the battlefield.

Well Raven was right about one thing: psychic battles take forever. Around 4:45, Robin reentered the interrogation room chambers. Starfire still hadn't left. She flinched every time one of the girls did. Which was often.

"Anything change yet?" Robin asked as he handed Starfire a glass of water.

"No. Nothing has changed." Starfire looked up at him. "Robin…are you sure this was a good idea?"

"No. I didn't like this idea in the first place. But if it means helping Sara-"

"If you did not like it, why did you not stop Raven from proceeding?"

"Stop Raven? You have met Raven right? You honestly think that I could've stopped her, Star? You know how she is, stubborn as a bull. Once she sets her mind to something, you can't shake her. I don't like this any more than you do; I've been in a psychic battle once. Believe me, it's not pretty. But if Raven wanted to help her, I wasn't going to stop her."

"Perhaps because it was the Oriole?"

A little irked, he replied, "No. Because she's a person. Besides, wouldn't you do the same if it meant you could be friends with Blackfire again?" When she flinched, his voice softened. Low blow, he scolded himself. "Sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I just…" With a sigh he buried his head in his hands.

When he found out Sara was with Slade, he thought he could never trust her again. Yet, just a few days later, she proved him wrong. With a slight smile, he pointed out that proving him wrong seemed to be her purpose in life. She'd been protecting him all along. But then his smile disappeared. Because even after they escaped, he couldn't protect her from Slade…Yet again, he couldn't protect the people he cared about from that monster. And then to make matters worse, he took her again. From his team's Tower. Still, she tried to save him. To punish her, Slade erased Sara's memory. And she became the assassin that her nightmares made her out to be. The perfect weapon.

A hand on his shoulder pulled him out of his emotions. "Robin, it is I who am…sorry. If she really means that much to you, then I will try to understand-"

Suddenly Raven gasped for air, eyes snapping wide open. She scrambled out of her chair, knocking it over, tripped over one of the chair legs and fell to the ground. Robin and Starfire rushed inside.

"Raven, are you injured?"

Raven shook her head. She looked up at Sara. "Something happened. It was like her mind was rejecting me or something."

Robin walked over to her, apprehension making his skin crawl. Hesitantly, he reached out a hand to her arm. Nothing. "Sara?" Still nothing. Robin jogged back to the control room and clicked the manacle button, freeing her. He returned to Sara. Still nothing. "Sara? Sair, wake up." Robin shook her, "Sara, come on."

Her eyelids twitched. Then, slowly, her eyes opened. She blinked, rubbed her eyes, then smiled, "Hey."

"Sara…do you...?"

Oriole

7:00 pm

Titans Tower

Gym

Sara ducked a swing of Robin's bo-staff. But she forgot to jump over his leg that was extended to trip her. Ungracefully, she tumbled to the ground on her butt.

"Come on, Sara. You could've jumped over that no problem."

Sara rolled her eyes and got to her feet. Only to be tripped again. This time, however, she fell on her face. Robin pinned her arm to her back and held her against the ground.

"Sara, you're not even trying." Suddenly, Dick's hand burned. With a yelp, he leaped away. Sara giggled and tackled him to the ground. "I said no powers," he snapped.

"No, you said no powers while fighting. Getting my arm free isn't fighting." She stuck her tongue out."

"Lemme up." Dick grumbled.

"First, a question. Have you ever said that to me before?"

"What?"

"Get your mind out of the gutter! I was talking about "Sara, you're not even trying." Have you ever said that to me?"

Robin stared at her. Then finally it dawned on him. "You remember that?"

"Not exactly. But it was in a place like this right?" Sara stood up and wandered the room, her feet pacing the floor like an old friend she was trying not to injure. "And you were even angrier than you are now." She giggled. "I think I burnt you in the a…uh, butt." Another giggle.

Robin's cheeks reddened. "It wasn't funny then and it's still not funny."

She laughed. "I think it is." Sara felt his eyes on her back as she pointed out differences between the gym in Wayne Manor and the Titans' gym. "There should be a ropes course over there. And a whole arsenal of staffs over there." Things that she could almost remember. With a smile, she leaned down and petted a section of the wall near the door. "And a scorch mark from that time I…" Considering it was an awkward memory, she dropped the subject. Clearing her throat she turned to Robin. A slight smile played on his lips and he was staring at her. "What?"

He shrugged. "Nothing."

"Well what were you staring at?"

Another shrug, this time with a smile. "You. Because you finally are you again."

Sara rubbed her arm. Was she? "I don't think so. Not completely at least. I only get…fragments." Lie. Total and complete lie. But Slade was still out there. And she wasn't totally convinced that she was safe in the Tower. Titans Tower wouldn't stop Slade. It hadn't before. It would be easier for everyone if they thought she couldn't remember everything, just in case. After all, it was less progress to lose.

"That's okay, though. It's more than yesterday, right?"

She shrugged. "I suppose." With an impish grin, she spun around and kicked his chest, pinned him to the ground. "Pinned you."

"Sara, that's enough!"

Sara cleared her throat and mimicked his voice, "We're gonna treat this like an actual fight. Pretend I'm Slade if you have to." Returning to her own voice, she teased, "So by now, you'd try to weasel out of it yourse- AH!" As she distracted herself with her short monologue, Robin bucked his hips and rolled so that Sara was pinned beneath him.

"I told you that so you wouldn't talk and distract yourself like you just did. In a real fight, you would've been dead by now." Robin let her up and moved over to the bench. She followed and wiped the back of her neck with a towel.

"But then why can't I use powers? I always have them!" Sara protested.

"Not in the rain." Robin pointed out. Ugh, along with the rest of her memories, she forgot how annoying Ro could be at times. "Against Slade, in the rain, you'd be about as effective as a candle the way you're fighting now. And he stronger than you. And-"

"Okay! Enough, I get it! But how is sparring supposed to help?"

"Slade isn't as used to his powers as you. Usually, that'd be an advantage. But Slade's been trained to take on capes. He knows how to take you down and with powers he's even more dangerous. If you can at least hold him off long enough for help to arrive, you have nothing to worry about."

Sara hugged her waist. "Except mind control." Or memory wiping. Or manipulation.

"Hey," Robin's hand took hers. "It's not gonna happen, okay?" With a smirk, he added, "Leave the worrying to Bruce, he does enough of it already."

"Where is he?" She asked softly.

"Downstairs, I think. He said he'd be coming over early to use to computer. You wanna see him?"

She shook her head without hesitation. "No. Not yet." Sara laughed humorlessly. "I'm out of that room and yet I still feel imprisoned."

"You can leave if you want-"

"That's not what I meant." She sighed, turned and smiled up at Robin. "Forget it. Come on. Let's go back t-" Was that…? No, couldn't be…Could it? Sara froze and strained to hear.

"Sara?"

"Shh!"

Dick looked around with wide eyes. "What's wrong?" He whispered, though he wasn't much quieter.

"Quiet!" Sara snapped. Her pupils dilated in terror. No. No, it couldn't be. Not now. She transformed into a wolf and sniffed the air. Ugh, why did she have to be right?

Suddenly, Robin figured it out. "Slade's here, isn't he?" He flipped open his communicator…but communications were offline. "Damn it! My communicator's not working."

Sara knew what she had to do. But she still didn't like it. And Ro would hate her for it. Sara turned on him and growled.

"What did I do wrong now?" He demanded.

The hackles along her spine rose as she growled again. Dick backed away. "Sara?"

Her eyes flashed green. Dick yelped at pain in his head. "Sara, what're you-?" Another cry of pain cut him off. "What're you doing?"

_Sorry, Ro. It has to be done._

Dick's knees buckled. Suddenly he was finding it hard to keep his eyes open. He glared at her. "You remember everything don't you?"

Her ears flicked in response.

"Why didn't you tell me then?"

_I was scared. _

"What's that supposed to-?" He groaned as she tried to knock him out with her powers. "Sara, knock it off."

_Sorry, Ro. I can't let Slade take you again. He's after you this time, not me. He came here to take you and kill me. _

Robin's eyes widened. "You can't just-"

_I can. And I have to. I've done enough, Ro. Just let me do what I have to. _

"But he'll kill you."

She shook her head. _Not if he can't find you._

Robin glared at her. "Just promise me you won't kill him, okay?"

She blinked in surprise. He was gonna go along with it? Shaking her head, she replied, _The only way this has a happy ending is if he dies._

"You can find another way." He moaned as he tried to resist unconsciousness. By now, darkness would be caressing the edges of his vision. "Sara, please. Promise me."

With a huff, she bowed her head in a nod. Almost immediately, Robin went limp and he was unconscious.

_I'm sorry. I had no choice. Don't worry, Ro. I'll get him. And I'll try to do things your way. _

**Author's Note: ** Hooray! Oriole's back. But so is Slade, with a vengeance. He's also said Enough is Enough. So, only three – five more chapters! We're almost done!

REVIEW!


	49. Chapter 43: Punishment

**For disclaimer, see previous chapters.**

**Author's Note: **Be excited! This is the fourth to last chapter! REVIEW PLEASE!

Chapter 43: Punishment

Slade

7:10 pm

Titans Tower

The four Titans floated in the air in front of him, moaning in pain as he manipulated their bioelectricity. Batman was already unconscious, near the kitchen.

"You will not see victory." Starfire growled through gritted teeth. "Robin and Oriole will-"

"Soon be dealt with."

"Stop!"

Slade turned towards the new voice. Sara charged at him from the common room door. As she ran, she transformed into a tiger. With a roar, she leaped into the air above him. Slade caught her with his powers before she ever laid another claw on the ground. With a surprised growl, she struggled to touch solid ground.

"Oriole!" Starfire cried. Slade made it a point to keep her mouth shut for her from then on.

"I'm surprised to see you alone, Sara. Where's Robin?"

Sara changed back into a human and spat, "Not here! He left to go get a pizza!"

Slade automatically noticed her lip quiver, her indicator for lying. But Slade chose to ignore it. If Robin was somewhere in the building, he was either stalling, waiting for an opening (one he would never get) or something happened to him, aka Sara. "Well isn't that a shame? Maybe I suppose we could just wait for him to come back."

"I have a better idea."

Beneath his mask, Slade raised a brow. Better idea huh? "Like?"

She gulped and tried to look stubborn, "How about you put me down first?"

"You were the one that attacked me." Slade snapped.

"So I was a little pissed off that you weren't here sooner, sue me."

You know, Slade mused, without that lip quiver and stutter she'd be an excellent liar. He let her go and replied, "I was a little preoccupied."

Sara dropped down and landed on her feet gracefully."With what?"

"Well, let's just say you did a marvelous job of scaring Double C out of his wits. He had about ten times as much security by the time I arrived."

"Wow. Did you kill him?"

"Of course I did. So, about this idea of yours?"

"O-Oh yeah! Well, maybe you would um…" She gestured to the Titans.

"Very well." With one last strain of his powers, the Titans were sleeping peacefully.

Where Sara excelled in lying, she lacked in hiding her emotions. A flash of concern flickered in her eyes.

"Oh, and about your so-called plan, which by the way you may want to start lying about," Slade sneered at her behind his mask at her now very frightened expression, "I have a better one."

Sara backed away, so far that she tripped over Batman's unconscious body. Her eyes widened in alarm. Panicking, she felt his neck for a pulse.

"Oh don't worry. He's still alive. Well…for now anyway. I still have use for him. Now, how about you be a good little girl and do exactly as I say."

Oriole

10:00 pm

Wayne Enterprises

Jump City

"Hey! This is Dick Grayson! I'm either in school or sleeping if I don't pick up, so leave a message and I'll get back to you when I can."

"Ro, it's me. I…I'm at Wayne Enterprises. Hurry. And come alone."

_How could I fall for this again! And now I've dragged Bruce into it! How many more of my family does Slade have to hurt before I get it! You can't outsmart Slade. Or at least I can't. It just doesn't work. Damn it. Ro will get the message I left on his phone soon. Then he'll be dragged into this too. Damn it!_

"Self-pity does not become you, my dear."

"Stop calling me that!" Sara snapped.

"How long do you think it will take him?"

She shrugged. "He might not get it at all." But, since the world just loved to prove her wrong, she received a text message from Dick: Wats goin on?

Slade peered over her shoulder. "Not going to get it did you say?"

Sara looked up at Slade for instruction. If she didn't, she might endanger Bruce.

Slade gestured at the phone. "By all means, tell him."

Sara turned back to her phone and texted: Sry. No time. Hurry! He has B!

"I've never understood a woman's need to put more punctuation than is needed yet shorten messages up in texts." Slade commented. Sara said nothing. Well, not until Slade went over to Bruce's still unconscious figure. Slade was probably keeping him under for whatever reason.

"What're you gonna do?" She said it before she could stop herself. How could she help it? Seeing Bruce tied up like that…it was unnerving. Not to mention her family's killer standing over him.

Slade glanced at her, his eyes twinkling maliciously. All at once, she understood. The dream. As if dipped into ice water, she gasped suddenly and goose bumps covered her skin. "I'm not going to lay a finger on him. But you are."

Robin

10:10 pm

Titans Tower

Sry. No time. Hurry! He has B!

He received that text two minutes ago. Starfire followed him to his R-Cycle, trying to convince him not to go. Oh the other Titans tried, but once Robin practically screamed at them, they backed off. All but Starfire. Which, in hindsight, wasn't all that surprising.

"Robin, at least bring us with."

"No. She told me to come alone."

"But she is…unstable. You said that yourself once."

"I don't care. Sara's not the one behind this."

"How can you be sure?"

"Starfire, she knocked me out so that Slade wouldn't find me. Look, I get that you're worried but-"

"But what? Robin, we both know that if I was in your place and you in mine, you would come anyway."

"Star, you guys will be close by."

"Not close enough." Star grumbled.

"I can't risk it, Starfire! You know that! If Slade really has Bruce and Sara, I can't risk it! They're the only family I have!"

"Then why have you not spoken of them?"

"Why didn't you tell us about Blackfire before she showed up? Why didn't Beast Boy talk about the Doom Patrol? Why didn't Cyborg tell us about STAR Labs? Why didn't Raven tell us about Trigon? We all have our secrets."

"But Robin-"

"But nothing." Robin mounted his motorcycle and took his helmet off the handlebars. He sighed. "I'm sorry, but I have no other choice. And there's not enough time to figure out a plan. We're just gonna have to wing it." He smiled and took Starfire's hand. "Don't worry so much. I'll be fine." After a quick kiss, Robin slipped on his helmet and drove out into the night.

His cellphone vibrated in his pocket. Thankful he connected his cell to his helmet, he answered, "Hello?"

"Where are you?" Her voice sounded odd, like she was holding back tears.

"I just pulled onto the bridge. ETA is two minutes."

"Make it one. Ro, I…I'm sorry. I did it again."

"It's not your fault."

"You can say that only so many times, Ro." With that, Sara hung up.

The drive was absolute agony. Though it took maybe fifty seconds, it felt like forever. Add to that, it took a full two minutes to get to the top. Not being able to fly was very inconvenient. A faint orange glow lit the rooftop of Wayne Enterprises. The neon signs were out. That was strange. They were always kept on.

"Sara?" Robin called.

"Behind you!" She screamed.

Robin spun around just in time to see Slade kick him in the face. Stars popped in front of his eyes. When he shook them free, the first thing he thought was _How did I get on the ground? _ The second thing he thought was _Holy shit, Sara's pointing a gun at Bruce!_ He was about to stand up, when the safety clicked off the gun.

Sara whimpered in fear. Clearly, she didn't want to hurt Bruce. But her eyes were black as ever, the telltale sign that she had no control. "Please, don't move."

Robin froze. He felt like slapping himself. Sara saw this happen in her vision. She'd warned him. He didn't listen. And now they were all paying for it. Searching the shadows, he spotted Slade near the neon W. "Let them go."

"You are hardly in a position to make demands." Slade walked over to Sara with his hands behind his back. He reached one out to brush a stray hair away from her face. "Quite a situation, isn't it?"

"Go to hell-!" Sara's jaw shut with a small click. She tried to speak again, but strangely her mouth wouldn't open.

"That's enough of that." Slade commanded, his eye glaring down at her.

She shrunk under his gaze and her hands trembled.

"Slade, don't do this. Please." Robin pleaded. He also kept screaming "Leave them alone!" in his mind to barrage Slade with thoughts.

"I've tried almost everything else. You know, I started to wonder if anyone cares about Sara, here. After all, Wayne sent her away to Jump City the first chance he got; you didn't care when she became my apprentice until she started causing problems-"

"That's not true!" Robin said indignantly. Of course he cared. Why else would he go to so much trouble saving her? …She'd do the same for him.

Slade continued as if he hadn't spoken. "When you finally did come for her, it was because she was killing people. Though I don't completely understand why you objected to that. Those men were all murderers themselves. What's so wrong with taking their lives in return? The same would've happened to them after court." With a slight chuckle, Slade added, "After all, this isn't corrupted Gotham." Before Robin could answer, Slade said, "Oh, yes, that's right. Your morals just won't allow for that."

"Let them go, Slade. I'm here now; you got what you wanted."

Slade laughed. "Not quite yet."

"Ro, don't! You promised!"

Slade turned on her, "I thought I told you to keep your mouth shut."

"You're already making me point a gun at B's head. What more could you do?"

"You know very well what more I could do to you. So watch your tone, young lady."

Sara glared at him, but otherwise listened to him.

Suddenly, Robin knew what he had to do. He just hoped it would work. Because if it didn't…don't think about that. "Alright." Two heads swiveled in his direction, three eyes wide in astonishment.

"No…" Sara breathed.

"I'll be your apprentice."

"No!"

"Sara, I didn't know that you and Bruce would be in danger."

"No. You can't."

Robin smirked at Slade. By now, Slade was starting to understand. "I'll even kill if I have to."

"That's enough!" She screamed. Slade spun around and his eye widened in surprise. The black in Sara's eyes was finally receding. Her eyes narrowed at him. And then she smiled. "Payback time." Her eyes returned to black coals. She was lost in her powers once more.

Out of nowhere, Sara swung the gun in Slade's direction.

**Author's Note: **Kick his ass, Sara! You guys have absolutely no idea how long I've been waiting to post this chapter. And we have three chapters left! REVIEW PLEASE!


	50. Chapter 44: It Wasn't a Lie

**Author's Note:** This is just a comment of personal interest that I just figured out. Usually, I hate it when chapters give away what happens in it. It spoils the surprise you know? But I also found out that each chapter title I give either foreshadows something about the next chapter, or it gives a tiny hint about what's to come. So, before you read this chapter, I challenge you to think about what lie this chapter refers to. Because yes, it has been mentioned before. Many times before actually. Good luck! REVIEW!

Chapter 44: It Wasn't a Lie

Oriole

10:20 pm

Wayne Enterprises

Oriole threw the gun at Slade's face to distract him. Slade put up an arm to block it and as he did so, flames flew from her body in a wall of fire. Robin ran to Bruce and threw his cape over himself and Bruce's face. But her green shield protected them from the fire.

_It's about time._ Sara thought to herself. She finally figured out how to use her powers to her full potential and keep them under control. Robin looked up at her and smiled. _Take him down, Sair._

_My pleasure_. Sara winked at him, then sprinted into the shadows to find the man who killed her parents. Changing into a wolf, she tried to sniff him out. But it was as if he'd just disappeared. She transformed back into a human and yelled, "Slade! Come out and face me, you coward!"

Suddenly the neon WAYNE on top of the tower flickered on, almost blinding her. Slade came from behind her and caught her in a chokehold. "You never learn, do you?"

Vaguely, she sensed Robin wondering why her eyes were still glowing if she wasn't using her powers. A small smile twitched on her lips. If Robin hadn't figured it out, then maybe Slade hadn't either.

She flipped Slade over her head and onto his back. She laughed tauntingly and said, "Think you can keep up, old man?" Sara sprinted and leaped over to the adjacent building, rolling on the rooftop to break her fall. It wasn't as tall as Wayne Enterprises, but she had to lead him away from Bruce and Dick.

Unfortunately, Slade was more focused on Robin and the now conscious Batman. Changing into an oriole, she flew back to the boys. Batman was awake, but injured. He wouldn't be able to fight very well. Robin supported Batman and tried to get him over to the ledge. But neither of them noticed Slade creeping behind them.

Sara tweeted loudly to warn them and tackled Slade to the ground as a tigress. As a human, she called to Dick, "Get outta here! I'll hold him off."

"Will you now?" Slade growled. Hot wires coiled around her torso and neck, pulling her away from Slade.

"Lemme go!" She demanded. Then the wires tightened around her neck. She made an odd coughing noise, no longer able to speak.

"Sara!" Dick shouted in fear. Out of nowhere he slammed into Slade's side, distracting him long enough for Sara to wriggle free.

Slade backhanded Robin across the face and punched him in the stomach. Sara flipped over Robin, taking a smoke pellet out of his belt as she went. When she landed, she threw a smoke pellet at Slade's feet. She led Robin over to Batman and ordered, "Stay here. I have a plan."

She could sense it. It was close. Very close. With a wry smile, she leaped into the cloud of smoke surrounding Slade. His back was to her. Good. She pounced and pushed his face into the far wall. Finally, the small sphere of copper floated into her hand. Turning Slade to face her, Sara presented it to him with vengeance in her eyes. Slade's eye widened in shock, then narrowed. "You wouldn't."

"You so sure of that?"

Robin

10:30 pm

Wayne Enterprises

"You so sure of that?" A brilliant light of green and copper emanated from Sara and Slade. It was blindingly bright. Robin shielded his eyes.

"NO!" Slade screamed. Then both Slade and Sara screamed in agony, the light gleaming brighter (if possible). Suddenly, the sound cut off.

Finally, the light faded and Robin stopped seeing spots. A thick smoke covered half of the building. "Sara?" He called.

Sara stumbled out of the smoke, weak but smiling triumphantly. Robin moved to help her, but a groan and hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned and opened his mouth to say something, but Bruce pressed a finger to his own lips to silence him. Bruce pointed past Sara. The faintest hint of copper glinted in the smoke.

Robin nodded in understanding and circled around behind the cloud of smoke. It was beginning to clear. He could distinctly make out Slade's shadow, standing right behind Sara. Sara struggled to her feet. At first she was a little wobbly. Slade stooped down to pick something up; Robin heard the safety click off of a gun. Sara froze. She turned, faster than she was ready for, and fell to her knees. She looked up into the barrel of gun.

"You little bitch," Slade growled. "Give them to me."

Her eyes narrowed. "Never. I'll die before I let you have them."

Before Slade could pull the trigger, Robin raced at him and shoved him to the ground. "Sara, run! Run!"

But of course, she didn't listen. She pulled Robin to his feet. "Come on!" She urged, pulling on his arm. She led him away from the Wayne Enterprises building, back towards the Tower. "You brought backup right?"

"They'll be taking care of Bruce by now."

"Good, he'll nee- Look out!" Sara dodged behind an air conditioner just in time to hear a bullet ricochet off of the cement. Slade jumped down to the building they were hiding on.

"We have to get moving." Robin whispered to her.

"No, really? I was just gonna wait for him to start shooting." Sara rolled her eyes. She circled back behind the air conditioner slowly, so that Slade wouldn't see her, and jumped down to the alley below.

Robin followed her down to the alley. Sara, meanwhile, pulled something black out of her pocket. It was her mask. "Where did you get that?" He asked, knowing he hadn't given it to her, nor had it when the Titans brought her to the Tower.

Sara took his hand and led him around the building to the streets. They disappeared down another alley, adjacent to the building Slade stood on."I've had it ever since I went with Slade." Robin stared at her in shock, but Sara pretended not to notice She peered up at the rooftops, then went over to the garbage cans and found a beer bottle. She broke the end off of it and felt the tip. "We need to get his attention. If he-"

"If you didn't remember, then why did you keep your mask?"

She shrugged. "Is that really relevant right now? Look, Ro, I promise I'll tell you everything once this is all over. But we need to protect B."

"Why? He's with the Titans."

"They won't stand a chance when he's like this. I've seen people like this before. Ricky was almost killed by one just a few years before I left the assassins and they were good buddies. People on a blood-lusting rampage become demons. It's scary. And with Slade, it'll be worse."

He sensed there was something she wasn't saying. They'd both seen people with blood lust, so why did she think that she knew more? And why did she think that Slade would be worse? "What do you mean?"

"Ro, I just took Slade's powers. When I did, I read his mind. His entire life story…it's bad. Really bad. Believe me when I say we haven't even seen Slade's full potential. And he's about to unleash all of it on Bruce. But if we keep him occupied, he'll come after us. Specifically me. I took his powers. I'm the one he's pissed at."

"So what's the plan?"

A fireball ignited in her palm. "Attract his attention and run like hell."

"Good plan."

"Got a better one?" She snapped. When Robin said nothing, she added, "Didn't think so. You ready?"

Robin considered this. The safest way to distract Slade, while being shot at, would be the roofs. That would mean climbing back up. "Gimme a head start. You're faster."

Sara rolled her eyes. "Head east. Ten…nine…eight…seven…" Caught off guard, he started scrambling to get to the fire escape ladder. He couldn't reach it. Sara giggled. "Six…"Robin climbed up the opposite wall, jumped and grabbed onto the fire escape ladder. "Two…one…" Robin shot a bird-a-rang up to the top just as Sara shot flames into the sky like a flare. He zipped to the top and turned east. Sprinting as fast as he could, he leaped to the next building. He looked over his shoulder.

Strange. Where's Sara? "Move!" Out of nowhere Sara slammed into him, shoving him to the ground, just as a bullet whizzed over their heads. She yanked him over to the stairway and ducked down behind it. "Alright, when I say move, get up and head that way." She pointed to her left.

"But that's out in the open!" He protested.

"Don't worry. I have a plan."

"You know, you said that earlier and now look where we are."

"That was different. I hadn't thought of taking his powers then. I have this all planned out."

"Just let me plan, okay? If we're gonna distract, we better be convincing and that's my area of expertise."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You can't lie or act worth shit." He replied bluntly.

Sara nodded. "That sounds about right. Fine. You lead. Just try not to get us killed."

Oriole

11:00 pm

Rooftops of Jump City

"That's a good plan and all, but-"

"But?"

"But…I don't know. I just don't like it."

"Scared Slade is better at running than you?" Without another word, he sprinted forward and leaped over to the next building.

Growling in frustration, Sara waited a moment before racing, southbound, to the rendezvous point. Bullets ricocheted off of the roof behind her.

Oriole ran faster, hearing Slade's breathing behind her. If he reached out and grabbed her, it was all over. Desperately she looked around for another way out, another route. With the skill of a practiced runner, she caught sight of a pipeline that went all the way up to the top of a building to her immediate right. Though they were trying to not lose him, that didn't much register when he had a gun and she was still weakened from taking his powers so she couldn't heal.

She veered right and almost ran right into him, but he dodged out of the way, as she knew he would. Curling into a tight ball in midair, Sara launched onto the pipe and gripped onto it, nails biting into the cold steel. She scrambled up to the top, not stopping to take a breath at the top. She turned the corner to her left and then took another right. Then she froze and skidded to a halt. She knew this rooftop. Her dream! The vision about Robin taking a bullet for her…oh no. Glancing over her shoulder, she checked for Slade.

No sign of him. Maybe she'd lost him. Maybe that's all that vision was: a dream. Oh God, she hoped so. When she turned forward again, Sara stared into the barrel of a gun. It was aimed right at her head, the only part of her body that she wouldn't be able to heal if wounded. She froze and sucked in a short breath, hardly daring to breathe at all. It wasn't a lie. That vision was never fabricated, never a nightmare. It was real.

"Slade, wait." She said.

"Give them to me." Slade hissed in a low growl, his eye gleaming with pure hate.

Her eyes narrowed. "The answer is still no." This hadn't happened in her vision. Maybe it would be different. "Slade, please, you've seen my visions. Stop before it's too late."

Time seemed to go slow-motion. She heard the trigger being pulled as a shout from beside her screamed, "NO!" Out of nowhere, Robin jumped in between the bullet and Oriole. He'd been shot in the throat.

Blood splattered Sara's face. She screamed and caught him as he fell, his blood soaking her fingers. "Robin!"

Slade froze above them, his eye wide in shock. Some part of her, a very small part, realized that Slade had lowered the gun just enough to shoot Robin in the neck rather than blow his brains out. She ignored that very small voice and screamed, "Monster! I warned you!"

Eyes glowing green, a wall of fire blocked Slade from Oriole and Robin. "Go away!" Slade tried to get through the flames. In response, they burned hotter than ever before. "Leave us alone!"

And just like that, Slade was gone.

Oriole lowered Robin to the ground gently. Robin gagged and coughed in rasps. "Ro, stay with me." Her eyes flashed as she tried to heal him. Tried. Failed. Realizing nothing was happening, she shouted, "No! Work dammit!"

"-ara… Sara…" She ignored him and kept trying to heal him. She had to. He did so much for her. Now she had to return the favor. "Sara!" Robin rasped as loudly as he possibly could, his hand catching her cheek weakly.

"What?" Tears stung her eyes as she listened to how small and meek his voice was now. He could hardly talk.

"Slade's wrong…he's…he's wrong about you. You're not a killer."

Sara took his hand in hers. "Ro, you shouldn't be trying to talk."

Robin smiled. "I shouldn't be saying that at least…I should be saying something like Disney World, right?" He tried to laugh, but it caught in his throat and blood gurgled in his mouth. Coughs racked his body.

Sara laughed quietly. "You're such a dork. Now shut up and let me work."

Desperately, she tried healing him. She tried everything, but Robin's breath grew weaker with each second. It was too late. He was going to die. No! She couldn't let this happen! It couldn't be happening!

"Sara?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't give up. No matter what happens to me…" He coughed, blood gurgling in his throat.

Sara petted his hair. "Don't talk like that. You hear me? I'm not gonna let this happen."

He smiled, "Just humor me." Suddenly, the smile disappeared, his hand tightened on hers and his body trembled violently. Hacking coughs splattered blood everywhere around them.

"Robin!" She cried, fearing that this was the end. Panic ceased her heart. "HELP! Somebody help!" The coughs stopped, but his chest still heaved like he was coughing. "No, please! Robin, no!"

Her eyes flashed again and again, trying to heal him, relieve pain at very least. Again, nothing happened. Because she was too weak to do anything.

"HELP ME! Somebody, please!"

"Robin!" Sara looked up and spotted Starfire flying towards them.

"Star, go get Raven! She can help!" Sara called.

Starfire landed next to Robin and pressed her palm to his cheek. "I cannot leave him in this condition."

"Star, I know that you care about him but now is not the time for stubbornness. Please, go find Raven. She's his only chance."

"I wouldn't…say only chance…" Robin rasped.

"What part of don't try to talk don't you get?" Sara snapped impatiently. "Star, just go get Raven. Please."

Starfire glared at her, glanced down at Robin, then back up at Sara.

"I'll…I'll be okay... Just…hurts a little." Robin smiled and weakly raised his hand up to Star's and squeezed. Sara sensed that he was lying. He knew he wouldn't be alright, and obviously he was hurting more than a little.

A very conflicted Starfire finally sighed and leaned down, kissing him on the cheek. "I will return soon." With that, Starfire left.

As soon as she was out of sight, Robin grimaced in pain. Sara shook her head, "Lying doesn't become you."

Robin's chest heaved, face twisted in agony. Then, oddly, his muscles loosened and his breath eased. He wasn't breathing. Oh God, he wasn't breathing! Sara peeled back his mask. His eyes were wide open. "Robin?" No response. "Robin! NO!" Sara strained to pull the last of her strength to heal him, but she just wasn't strong enough. "HELP ME!" She started trying CPR. Thank God Robin convinced her to learn how to do it. "1, 2, 3, 4…"

When she got around to 15, she heard someone calling her name. "Sara?"

She knew that voice. "Bruce! Bruce, help me!"

Bruce turned the corner and ran to her side. Then he froze, sucking in a quick breath.

"22, 23, 24…"

"Let me take over." Bruce ordered. Sara slid out of his way immediately.

An agonizing minute went by with more of the same, Bruce giving CPR to Robin and Sara desperately trying to heal him with her powers. Finally, Bruce leaned back on his heels, hanging his head in defeat. He looked down at Sara. Her eyes widened. "No…please, don't say it."

"He's dead."

**Author's Note:** NOOOOOOOO! If this was an actual episode, I'd be punching the TV and yelling, "THAT CAN'T BE THE END!" But se la vie, it is the end of this chapter. So, as has been pointed out, the lie referred to in the chapter title is the vision that she thought was imagined by Slade. Well, needless to say, it wasn't a lie.

Comments welcome. See you next week!


	51. Chapter 45

**Disclaimer:** Come on! It's the Fourth of July and copyrights have to ruin it by reminding me that I don't own Teen Titans? That's just evil.

**Author's Note:** Reader, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! ROBIN! He can't die! He still has to be Nightwing!" Me, "Muahaha! Yes he can! This is my fanfiction! Nightwing no longer exists! Muahaha!" Read and Review please. Enjoy your Independence Day, fellow Americans! All others, enjoy this day anyway. It may not be your Independence Day, but you can still have fun in the sun!

PS For this chapter, I couldn't find a really good name for this chapter, so this one is coming with a quote instead, seen below.

Chapter 45

"Look at this. Look at what they make you give" – An assassin as he is dying in The Bourne Identity

Bruce

11:10 pm

Exact Location Unknown

"No! You're wrong! He can't be dead!" Sara screamed, shoving Bruce aside so she could cradle Dick's body in her arms.

"Sara," was all Bruce had to say. She looked at him with wide, frightened eyes, like a deer caught in the headlights. Sara squirmed out from beneath Robin's body like she was just realizing how much of his blood coated her. Bruce now knew the truth. Sara may pretend to be a tough assassin sometimes, but really she was just like every other girl. She could still be scared. She could still grieve and feel guilt. The entire time she acted like an assassin, it was just that: an act, a mask to hide behind. Sara was really just an ordinary girl, with an exceptionally unusual life.

Sara trembled as she peeled a splatter of dried blood of her face, probably from the initial gunshot. She stared into Bruce's eyes. "Is this my fault? Did…did I do this?"

Unsure of what to say, he gazed at Robin's body. Even he couldn't yet accept what had happened. Sara leapt into Bruce's arms suddenly, tears streaming down her face. She threw her arms about him and sobbed into his shoulder. Bruce, not being able to think straight, just held her. "It's my fault! I should have warned him; I should've made him listen to me!"

_Say something dammit!_ He commanded himself. But the only thing he could think to do is to take Sara to a hospital, where she could be treated for shock Unable to come up with anything better to say, he soothed, "There's nothing you could've done, Sara."

"Robin?" Starfire and Raven dived down to the roof from above, both staring at their former leader in shock.

"Robin!" Starfire screamed. She was at Robin's side in seconds. Tears glittered in her eyes as she clutched Robin's body closer to her.

Hope sparked in Sara's eyes. "Raven! Can you help him? If we could just heal him-"

"Sara, his heart's stopped." Bruce reasoned, his logical mind taking over since his emotional mind was still fried with shock.

"And even if that does work, we'll give him a few more minutes of agony, at best. Do you really want that?" Raven elaborated.

"No! If there is still a chance, you must! Robin is our friend!" Starfire sobbed, pulling Robin's head onto her lap. She closed Robin's eyes, tears streaming down her face.

"I'm not saying I'm giving up, but there's really nothing I can do. But…"

"But?" Starfire said hopefully.

Raven's eyes locked onto Sara's."Sara, you took Slade's powers right?"

"Well, yes, but what does that have to…?"Sara trailed off, her eyes wide and terrified. Bruce, for once, was struggling to comprehend. "No. No, I can't."

"You have to." Raven countered.

"No! Raven, how can you expect me to-?"

"To what?" Bruce interjected.

Raven and Sara flicked their eyes in his direction, but it was Raven who responded. "If Sara could absorb Slade's abilities, maybe she could jumpstart Robin's heart with electricity and control the heat in his blood to reduce blood loss."

"Would that work?" Starfire asked hopefully.

"It should."

"You mean it might." Sara growled.

"Sara, what do you have to lose?" Raven asked.

Sara looked indignant. "I have plenty to lose, thank you! My integrity, for one thing. Raven, you have no idea what you're asking me to do!"

"You owe him!" Raven persisted.

"Not that much!"

"Not enough to save his life?"

"Listen to me! What you're asking me to do is…disgusting and perverted. It's like…like cutting off someone's arm while that person is still alive and using it as your own, even though you have two perfectly functioning arms. It's wrong…And even if I did, I won't be able to control his powers! I can hardly control my own! For all we know, I could kill him!"

"He's already dead." Bruce pointed out.

Sara turned on him, eyes scorching with fury. "You can't possibly be agreeing with her!"

Bruce said nothing, but stubbornness flashed in his eyes along with a message, "I agree with Raven. Just listen to her."

She gawked at him. "This is insane! You're all insane!"

"Sara, wouldn't he do the same and more for you?"

"You can't possibly do anything more for someone, Raven, let me tell you."

"He's been trying to protect you ever since he knew you. He died to save your life. He has done more for you. You owe him." Raven insisted.

Sara stared at Raven for a long, long time. Eons seemed to go by. During which time, Starfire said, "Oriole, please." Sara sighed and looked down at Robin. She ruffled his spiky hair affectionately and bent down to kiss his forehead. Then she stood and glanced down at Starfire, "Stay with him." Then her eyes moved to Bruce. "And stay back. I don't know what's going to happen when I do it."

"You're doing the right thing." Raven called after her.

Sara turned her back on them and began walking away. Bruce heard her mutter, "I'm doing the insane thing, more like. But it's for Di. Raven's right; I owe him."

She stopped at the opposite side of the roof. Taking two deep breaths, she closed her eyes and cupped her hands around the air, as if expecting something. Fire lit in her hands, solidifying into the most brilliant emerald anyone had ever seen. The color began to spread down her arms, up through her shoulders and down to her torso. Her eyes opened, shimmering the same beautiful shade of green. Everyone watched with awe. Sara's entire body was now an elegant, emerald statue.

Another color glowed dimly in her palms now. The copper sphere pulsed, like it was alive. Sara brought it to her stomach, crying out in pain as soon as the two colors brushed against each other. Bruce left Robin's side to aide her, though he wasn't entirely sure what he could do. The colors evaporated at once. Sara fell into Bruce's arms, limp as a cadaver. Then she stirred and looked up at her mentor. Scurrying out of his grip, she glared at him and snapped, "What part of stay back don't you get?"

"Obviously it wasn't working."

Her eyes narrowed. "Oh, shut up. Stand back." Before he could move, she started the process over with two deep breaths, the emerald sphere in her cupped hands. When her body looked like living gems again, she brought the copper pulse to her chest, where, now that Bruce was closer, he could see the emerald pulsating as well. Sara let out a sharp gasp and gritted her teeth, determined to get it right this time. The colors collided, copper overtaking the precious emerald. The corrupting copper color spread throughout her entire body, pulse dimming. Bruce could hardly hear Sara breathing. When it reached her eyes and began infecting them too, Sara rasped, "Oh no you don't." Sara's green aura burst forth in a vicious rage. This time, the emerald and copper mixed together in a delicate balance. Lighting crackled in between the clouds overhead, thunder booming. Fire ignited on Sara's body, lapping at her skin like an obedient dog.

Sara raised her hands, shooting flames into the darkened sky. Lightning arced down to meet her, thunder cracking threateningly. Finally, the light show ended and the colors faded back to Sara's eyes.

Bruce stared at her, speechless. He knew Sara was powerful and potentially dangerous; he just never knew how much. She turned back to the small group huddled around Robin's body. The two boys, Beast Boy and Cyborg, must have arrived while his back was turned. Bruce followed her as she walked towards them.

"You're not gonna want to touch him." Sara's voice sounded…odd. It was like two voices were speaking instead of one.

Starfire lay Robin's head down gently and scooted back. Her hand reached for Raven's, searching for comfort. All four Titans looked like they were sitting on pins and needles as they leaned forward to watch.

Sara took another deep breath and raised her arm above her head. Lightning crackled up above and zapped into her body. As soon as the bolt touched her, she stepped back and gasped, gritting her teeth to hold back a yelp of agony. The electricity subsided, somewhat, and retreated to her fingertips. Sara knelt next to Robin, eyes glowing with power. Blood began to retreat back into Robin's body. Experimenting, Sara touched her fingertips to each other. Electricity sparked between them as she grimaced in pain.

"I hope this works." She murmured. Slowly, Sara's fingers lowered down to Robin's chest. His body jolted like you see on TV when someone's being revived with a defibrillator. But nothing else happened.

Her eyebrows creased in confusion, then anger. "Don't you dare do this, Robin! Wake up, dammit!" With more ferocity, she dug her fingers into Robin's chest. Again his chest bounced, but this time, his eyes snapped open and he gasped for air. But he wasn't healed yet. The small group huddled back around the dying Robin as Sara's fingers glowed with her now camouflage-colored aura. It healed slowly. Too slowly. By the time the wound closed, Robin would be dead once more. Raven's hand lay on top of Sara's. Their auras mixed cautiously, finally surging with one last effort. Finally, the wound healed; not entirely, neither Raven nor Sara had enough energy left for that, but enough. Robin's coughs decreased in intensity until finally he could breath normally again. His eyes fluttered shut. After all that had happened, he must have been exhausted.

Speaking of exhaustion, Sara looked like she might collapse at any given moment. Concern glittered in her eyes. Her hands fumbled to feel for Robin's pulse. Raven brushed her hand aside and felt his pulse for her. She smiled slightly and looked over at Sara. "You did it, Sara. He's alive. He'll be okay. He'll wake up tomorrow, probably."

Sara smiled, kind of delirious from lack of energy. "He's okay." She mumbled it a few more times, her eyes fighting to stay open. Finally, her body went limp and she fell into Bruce's arms.

Robin

Time Unknown

Location Unknown

Robin bolted upright in his bed, his hand clutching his throat as he coughed, loud and hard. A Kleenex magically appeared in front of his mouth, blood splattering it like crimson rain.

Starfire's voice floated by his head, "You see? We should have asked her to clear his throat. For all we know-"

"She's done enough." Bruce's harsh voice snapped protectively, somewhere in front of him. "What she did for him tortured her and almost killed her. She deserves some rest."

"Stop arguing! He's awake." Raven said to his left.

He blinked and rubbed his eyes. The four Titans stood around his bedside: Starfire on his immediate right, Raven next to her, Cyborg on his immediate left and Beast Boy next to him. Bruce stood at the foot of his bed. There were smiles all around. Even Bruce looked happy to see him.

"Phew, thank God he's awake. Dude, you need a shower. Bad." Cyborg teased. Everyone laughed.

Robin craned his head to look up at Cyborg and snap back a smart-aleck retort. Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in his neck. With a painful gasp, his hand clapped to his neck. Starfire huddled over him worriedly.

"Star, move. You're not doing any good blocking him from me." Raven ordered in her gentle but firm way.

Ripping off a bandage (earning a glare from Robin in return), Raven studied the flesh beneath. She scoffed, annoyed. "You ripped open your scab again. This is the fifth time!"

"Scab?" Robin echoed. Then he did a head count and noticed one person was missing. Worry made his skin itch. "I thought Sara healed me." Nervous glances were exchanged, everyone avoiding Robin's eyes. The apprehension returned. He was now almost afraid to ask, "Where is she? Where's Sara?"

The other Titans nodded at Starfire. She stepped aside to reveal a very pale, very weak Sara lying on the hospital bed next to him. Robin gawked in shock. "Is…is she…?"

"No," Batman replied. "She'll wake up soon. She's just tired."

Raven added, "But she'll be angry. She-"

"Don't." Batman ordered stiffly. "Let Oriole tell him. It's her secret. If she wants him to know, she can tell him. Unless she asks any of you to say something about it, it never happened as far as anyone else is concerned."

"But will not Slade know?"

"I don't know." Batman answered. "I don't know how this all works. Just let her sleep."

It was perfectly clear that something happened while he was out. What it was or why it was so compromising he didn't know, but he figured he would just ask Sara. Then again…

"Why didn't Sara heal me all the way? She usually does that to herself, not to other people."

"Does what to herself?" Beast Boy asked.

"She usually doesn't heal herself all the way. She says it's draining and that she doesn't like healing wounds all the way because it's unnatural. She likes keeping scars too. But usually, she only does that for herself, not anyone else."

Some more unsure glances were exchanged, but everyone looked back at Batman in the end. His eyes were on Sara. Finally, the cool blue eyes swept his way. "She ran out of energy. We thought she might die, but it seems she's just resting. Went into a coma after she healed you. She snapped out of it just an hour ago. "

"So…she'll be okay?" Robin asked.

Batman nodded. "Just let her sleep. She deserves it."

"And so do you." Raven ordered. She motioned for everyone to leave. "Get some sleep." Starfire took Robin's hand and squeezed. Then she let go and followed the others out. Raven was the last to leave.

A thought occurred to him, a very disturbing thought. "Raven," he called. Raven stopped just shy of the door and turned. "Did Slade get away?"

Raven sighed. "I knew that would come up. Yeah, Slade got away. We were more focused on you. You could be dead right now. And don't even think you're getting out of resting just to find Slade. He can wait."

"But-" Raven's eyes narrowed in a death stare. Robin shrunk. "Okay, okay!" His eyes flicked to Sara. "Raven…do you think Slade will go after her again?"

Raven's eyes followed Robin's to the prone figure on the gurney. She shrugged. "I don't know. But if he does, we'll be there to help, right?"

With a small smile, Robin teased. "That mean you and Sara aren't cat fighting anymore?"

Raven rolled her eyes. "Get some sleep." With that, she left.

Robin chuckled as he snuggled back into bed. He looked over at Sara. She didn't look very peaceful. Her body twitched every once in a while. It looked like she was having a nightmare. Robin didn't blame her at all. _What if Zucco got away?_ He asked himself. With a shudder, he felt pity for her. She'd been through so much. Sara will never be the same.

As he closed his eyes, he took comfort in her deep breathing. Maybe she was finally resting, instead of twitching like a Mexican jumping bean. "Goodnight, Sara. Thanks for saving me."

**Author's Note: **Reader *gawking at computer screen with mixed emotions* "Wow. Just wow." Me *nodding with a smug expression* "Didn't see that one coming, did you? And Robin doesn't even know what she did for him yet!"Robin's alive! YAY! Of course, you all probably predicted that. In the past, I haven't been too evil, have I? So why would I kill off my clearly favorite character of Teen Titans? That doesn't even make sense, unless you think I'm a sadistic bitch. And I'm not…well, not totally at least :P Seriously though, I bet you're wondering why Bruce kept Sara's new powers a secret. I mean they were already stolen by the man that killed her parents. So why would it be a big deal if she took them from him and then absorbed them to save Robin, who is basically her adopted brother? Think about it. We just have one more chapter, then the Epilogue. The Epilogue will take place maybe three to six years later.


	52. Chapter 46: Flick, Click, Snap

Author's Note: I suck! I know you all want to kill me right now since I was so late but I hope this last dramatic part makes up for it. I just wanted to get it perfect. If there are plot holes or anything, just say so. The conversation between the two main characters is a little long, but I feel it's necessary. After all, they got a lot to talk about.

Chapter 46: Flick, Click, Snap

Sara

9:00 am

Titans Tower

Two Days After Robin's Resurrection

Sara yawned and stretched out on her bed. She sniffed the air, waiting for the smell of Alfred's pancakes. Instead…it smelled like a hospital. Sara's eyes snapped open. "Where am I?" She asked the empty room. Then she remembered. Jump City, California. Titans Tower.

An unpleasant jolt zapped through her system. She closed her eyes. Memories came back now, clear as day. The rooftops. Slade with a gun. Staring into the barrel of that gun. The look of fury in Slade's eye. The gunshot resounding in her ears. Robin dead. Absorbing Slade's powers…she opened her eyes. That's right. She had Slade powers.

Focusing on a heart monitor, that had been pushed to the corner for lack of use, she tried to activate Slade's powers. Even though it was unplugged, it flickered to life after Sara's eyes flashed with her new silvery gold aura. No. No, no, no, no. NO!

Sara threw herself back, away from the heart monitor. It shut off as she fell ungracefully to the tiled floor. Rolling to her feet, and feeling groggy, she stumbled out of the room into the commons. The four Titans were all gathered on the couch, whispering about something.

Starfire smiled at the site of her and flew to give her a hug, but just before she noticed the look of distress on Sara's face. She frowned. "Friend, what is wrong?"

Beside herself, Sara laughed out loud. "What's wrong? Oh, nothing. Nothing at all, Starfire." Anger stalked Starfire behind Sara's eyes like a caged beast. "Oh yeah. That's right. I can do this." All the electronics in the room burst into life, the lights above shining brighter. Fire and lightning curled and crackled around her knuckles.

Sara shoved her shoulder into Starfire as she stormed past, thunder booming outside. As soon as the door slid shut behind her, Sara ran. She ran as fast as she could, bounding up the stairs to the roof.

_Who am I? _What_ am I?_

Robin

10:30 am

Titans Tower

After one night in the hospital wing, Raven finally let him sleep in his own bed. It felt good to wake up to his room again. His hand fumbled blindly on his bedside table, searching for his mask. Pressing it to his face, he threw on his uniform and walked to the common room. He noticed that the door to the roof swung open. He shrugged. Maybe one of the guys opened it to get some airflow or something.

When he went into the common room he found all four of his friends in the kitchen, the girls talking while Cyborg and Beast Boy argued about breakfast. Everything seemed to be back to normal. Though…he noticed that everyone was a little tense. Starfire flew to him and kissed him swiftly. Oh how he'd missed that kiss. "Good morning, Robin." She said when they parted.

Before Robin could say anything, Cyborg called disgustedly, "Break it up you two!"

"Yeah, get a room!" Beast Boy added with a smirk.

Raven whapped BB on the head and asked Robin, "How are you feeling?"

"Fine. How about Sara? She wake up yet?"

The general hubbub came to a sudden stop. _Oh no. What happened to her now_? Robin thought. Starfire looked back to the group. Cyborg nodded. She turned back to Robin and said, "She awoke an Earth hour and thirty Earth minutes ago."

Robin felt confused. He'd almost worried Sara was dead. "Well that's great news right?"

Starfire glanced back at the guys briefly. "Well…she seemed most…upset."

"Well she's been out for a couple days. She was probably just hungry. She's really crabby when she's hungry."

"Nah, man. This was different that bein' crabby." Cyborg replied.

"Yes, she was upset about…well, perhaps you should ask her. She is on the roof. All of us have tried speaking to her, but she has refused to speak. She just keeps playing with her…what is it called?" Starfire trailed off, trying to find the word she was looking for.

"Lighter, Star." Beast Boy provided.

"Oh yes. She was playing with a lighter. Beast Boy informed me that it is a device usually used for smoking habits. Tell me, does Oriole have these smoking habits?"

"No. She uses that for a last resort usually. Emergencies only. Sometimes she can't create fire, so we gave her a lighter for an emergency. She usually never even touches it." He paused, thinking about why Sara was upset. "You said she was on the roof?" He asked her.

Starfire nodded. Cyborg cleared his throat awkwardly and announced, "Uh, food's ready."

"Dish me up two plates, will ya Cy? I'll bring some up to Oriole and see if she'll eat." Robin said.

Robin found her on the roof, playing with her lighter just as Starfire said. The sound repeated in a calming rhythm: flick, click, snap, flick, click, snap. Once, she left the lighter on, pulled the flames from the device and let it curl around her fingers. Then she sent it back into the lighter, snapped it shut, and then started the whole process over: flick, click, snap, flick, click, snap.

As he'd told the Titans, she usually only used it for emergencies, when she was really weak or cornered and alone. Robin plopped down beside her. She didn't seem to notice and stared straight ahead, focusing on some invisible thing with a scowl on her face. Flick, click –

"Sara?" He called softly, his hand reached for her shoulder.

She paused. Then, snapping the lighter shut, she peered at him from the corner of her eyes. "Yes?" Her voice was raw and tired, like she was losing her voice or had strep throat.

He studied her, trying to catch her eye. But she avoided direct eye contact. For a while, neither spoke. Robin noticed that although she'd been passed out for two days, there were bags under her eyes. Then he remembered that her sleep hadn't been too peaceful. He also noted two more stress lines at the corners of her eyes. She'd gained ten years in two days. Finally, he called her attention back to him as her eyes began to unfocus again. "Sara." No dice. With an inner shrug, he asked, "You okay?"

She smiled and laughed humorlessly, "No."

He waited for an explanation, which never came. Instead, Sara went back to flick, click, snap. He encouraged her to confide in him with, "What's wrong?"

Her hands trembled, lighter suspended in midair above her hand. Replacing it in her pocket, she asked, "Do you really want to know?"

"Of course I do. According to Bruce, I owe you my life."

Her hands shifted restlessly in her lap, as if at a loss of what to do without the lighter. Finally, she turned to him and looked into his eyes. "What if you had to sacrifice becoming the thing you hated the most for the person you cared about the most? Would you do it?"

Confused he asked, "Um…what are we talking about?"

She scowled at him, turning her pent-up emotions on him. "You asked what was wrong and I'm trying to tell you!"

"Sara, I don't get it. I mean I know you were knocked out for a couple days, but that's hardly anything to keep me around, right?" He smiled and bumped her playfully with his elbow. When she just stared at him in shock, his smile faded and he said, less sure, "Right?"

She searched him for some indication that he was joking. Apparently finding none, Sara snapped, "Are you seriously teasing me at a time like this? Knowing what I had to do to save your ass?" Her eyes narrowed. "How dare you!"

Dick raised his hands in surrender, starting to panic at the dangerous gleam in Sara's eyes. "Whoa! Chill, I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about! What did you have to do? Use up your energy, I get that, but you've done that before and for complete strangers! Why am I so different?"

Finally, understanding dawned on her. "No one told you."

"Told me?" He echoed, "Told me what?" Sara bit her lip and looked out over the ocean, her hands fidgeting in her lap again. "Sara! Gimme some straight answers here! Told me what? What else happened while I was out? What, did your powers not work at first or something?"

She shook her head, still chewing on her lower lip. He could almost see the debate in her head: yes, no, yes, no, yes, no. He was just waiting for the ending yes. Though, what it was yes to was the real question. Yes to telling him the truth? Maybe. Maybe not.

"Ro…you didn't just…just pass out. That's not what happened. I…I don't know what they told you, but I didn't just pass out either. It was worse than that. A lot worse."

"Like…?" He encouraged.

"Like you…well…it was bad, okay? Can't that be enough? If the others didn't tell you, maybe it's for a reason…"

"Bruce did mention something about a secret."

"And?"

"He said none of them should tell anyone unless you gave them the go-ahead."

"Really? That's all he said?" When Robin nodded, both her eyebrows shot up. "Huh, weird. Bruce is actually keeping a secret."

Robin laughed, "He is Batman, you know."

"Well, yeah, keeping secrets comes with the job but this is different. This secret involves you, and he probably knew I would tell you, so why didn't he just tell you himself?"

With a shrug, Robin answered, "Maybe he was trying to give you a chance to talk to someone about what happened." And if so, then that meant that whatever no one told him was bad. Really bad. So bad that Sara couldn't just bury it, like she did with most things. When she said nothing, he added, "So…?"

She sighed, pulled her lighter out from her pocket and started playing with it again. Flick, click, snap. "I couldn't save you. I was scared. It was all happening so fast. First I was out on that roof. Then  
>I realized that it was happening just like my dream. I turn around and there's a gun in my face!" Flick, click, snap. "I didn't know what to do! I tried talking to Slade, reminding him of the vision, but then he fired that damned gun and next thing I know, you were shot!" Flames shot out of her lighter as panic and fear fueled Sara's powers.<p>

"Whoa! Sara, calm down." Dick put his hands on her shoulders. "Listen to me. It's over. I'm okay. You're safe now. I'm right here. Right?"

"No! I'm not safe! I don't know how I'm going to control it, o-or what I'm gonna do about-"

"Sara, look at me. Slade is not going to come after you again. He knows what you can do now. If he's smart, he won't come within ten miles of you, okay?"

"That's not what I'm afraid of! You're not listening to me!"

"Yes, I am. And I'm trying to help you."

"You're the reason it happened! If you hadn't been stupid enough to jump in the way of that bullet-"

"You'd be dead." He finished for her. "Sara, that gun was pointed right at your head. We both know what would've happened if he hit you. This way, no one died."

"YOU DIED!" She screamed, her frustration getting the better of her. "You were dead, Dick! You. Were. Dead. There was no pulse, no breathing, no nothing! You didn't pass out, you didn't just fall unconscious, you were dead. I had to sacrifice everything to save your life for supposedly helping me. Now I might become my worst nightmare, just so you could save me from a tiny piece of metal going through my head." But her speech was all for not. For her audience was still wrapping his mind around what she was saying.

Dick's head was spinning. Did she say dead? As in dead, dead? Like tombstone dead? "Hold up. What do you mean by dead? You healed me…right?"

At his outburst, Sara halted. Realizing what she'd just said (not to mention the incredibly insensitive tone she said it in), her face softened. She took a deep breath. Answering his question, Sara shook her head. "No. I couldn't. I wasn't strong enough. And Raven wasn't fast enough. By the time she got there…you were already gone." She looked down at her hands, then out at the ocean. With a small, ironic smile, she whispered, "I shouldn't have done it. Mom told me that we're supposed to know how to take someone's powers just in case someone like Slade showed up, but we're never supposed to take it for ourselves. That's selfish. But you were dead; I couldn't just…" She sighed.

"Sara…you saved my life. Do you regret it?"

"No! Damn it, you're not listening to me! I mean, look at me! This isn't normal!" She held out her hands. A coppery silver orb, what must have been Sara's aura, appeared above it, pulsing in sync with Sara's heartbeat. The colors swirled around each other, meshing perfectly. Something oozed out of it and dripped down in between her hands, plummeting to the earth below the Tower. As if fell, it spontaneously lit on fire.

Dick's eyes widened. It was mesmerizing. It made him feel warm inside, like he'd drunken some brandy. "What…what is it?"

"It's called cesium. The color my aura has now taken is cesium."

"What!" Cesium was one of the most reactive elements on the planet. Was that liquid cesium that just dripped to the ground?

"Tell me, Di, does this look normal to you? Does this look right? If you thought I was out of control before all this, you don't know anything. It hurts to use my powers now. It's painful."

Dick took her hands in his. They squeezed his hands tight, all of her muscles seizing up. "You know why? Because you're scared. You need to stop being so afraid. You are the Oriole. You're so powerful that not even Slade could control you. You're a better hero than I could ever hope to be."

Sara scoffed. "Right. Cuz greatness is based on powers. You must've forgotten. I'm a murderer, Di. I'm dangerous."

"No. Slade's dangerous. Slade made you do those things."

She shook her head. "Not everything. Not those thugs."

His eyebrows twitched. "What thugs?"

She looked away, her hair falling over her face.

"What thugs, Sara?"

"If you'd been paying attention to your own damn city you'd know wouldn't you?" She snapped. Realizing she'd been a little harsh, she looked away shyly and added, "I'm sorry. I just…" she sighed. "Forget it." Standing, she scooped up her breakfast and headed for the stairs.

Dick caught her arm. "If you don't want to tell me, that's fine. But I owe you my life."

"You don't owe me anything. You saved me eight years ago. The least I can do is return the favor."

"Regardless," Dick continued, "if you ever want to talk or anything, I'll be there. Okay?"

Sara studied him, her eyes searching for something in his. Finally she nodded, "okay," and threw open the door. She paused on the top step. "And Dick? Thanks."

Dick smiled and nodded back. "Anytime."

A faint smile twitched on her lips. With that she went downstairs, not quite comforted but feeling better, if slightly.

**Author's Note: **Reader: please, MaK 16, get to the editing! You need it badly.

Me: I know! But we got one more chapter! Hang in there, readers!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. REVIEW!


	53. Epilogue

**Disclaimer:** Only own the plot and Oriole. Nothing else!

**Author's Note:** Thanks guys for sticking with me! I know it didn't seem like much in the beginning and the ending, admittedly, is kinda cliché too but it still gives ya that warm feeling. But the gushy stuff is saved for the very end. Oh no, there's still more angst and drama to come. Thanks everyone! You all rock! R & R please!

Oriole

Epilogue: Goodbye

Batman

12:00 pm

Titans Tower

He found the Titans all gathered around the little island in the kitchen. Plus someone else. Sara?

No one but Robin noticed he'd come in yet. Batman cast him a questioning glance, gesturing to Sara. Robin mouthed, "She just woke up."

Batman nodded. He pointed to Sara, then made the okay sign with his fingers. Robin shrugged to his silent question. He waved his hand back and forth: sort of.

"Oriole?" Batman called softly.

Sara spun her stool seat around to get a good look at him. She waved her fingers, not smiling.

Batman cleared his throat and said, "I'm going back to Gotham in a couple days. If you want to stay here, I understand, but if you want to-"

"Shut up." Sara said in a thick voice. She ran to Bruce and wrapped her arms about him. "I'm so sorry. I should've stopped Slade sooner. I should've made him let you go…something! But I almost shot you! I…I'm sorry, B. I'm so sorry."

Bruce pulled her away and shook her shoulders gently. "No. You did what you could. You tried to protect everyone all at once. And you paid the price." His right hand tilted her chin so he could see her eyes. "If anything, I should be saying sorry for not acting sooner."

Her eyes stretched wide. In fact, that seemed to be a trend; all of the Titans were also looking at him with astonishment in their eyes, Robin especially. Sara smiled at him and hugged him again. "I wanna go home." She whispered.

Home? After everything that'd happened, she wanted to go back to Gotham? Then again, maybe because of everything she didn't want to stay in Jump City. "We'll be leaving in two days."

"Why that much exactly? You got a meeting or something?" She asked when she finally pulled away.

Bruce nodded. "Something like that. Meanwhile, I want you to train with the Titans. Maybe these new powers could be…beneficial."

Sara shrugged, "Maybe." With that, she skipped over to Cyborg and asked if she could play with him.

Bruce turned to Dick. "How is she?"

Dick's eyes were focused on Sara as she plopped down next to Cyborg and took control of a racecar. "Stressed. After what happened, can you blame her?"

Bruce studied him. He knew. But just to make sure, Bruce said, "You know?"

Dick nodded. "She did so much for me. How can I ever repay her?"

They both looked back at the door, as if they could see her through it. "I think, in her eyes, she was just repaying you."

Robin glanced at his team, not bothering to answer. Honestly, he probably just didn't know how to answer. Batman followed his gaze. Starfire and Beast Boy were washing the dishes. Raven was meditating, though she looked over at Sara and Cyborg every once in a while whenever their game got intense. Batman was about to leave, when Robin stopped him. "You don't have any appointment. You're going after Slade." It wasn't a question.

Batman pressed a finger to his lips. They both looked over Robin's shoulder to see Sara laughing and dancing victoriously while Cyborg mourned because he'd lost to a girl. "Keep it down. I don't want her to know."

"She can read minds." Robin pointed out.

"Yes well, she seems preoccupied at the moment."

Robin shrugged. Then he loosened his collar nervously. "You shouldn't do it."

Bruce frowned. "He kidnapped you and Sara and almost turned her into a murderer. And you think I'm not getting involved?"

"I didn't say that. But someone must've put out that hit on you. I just think you should lay low."

"Robin, criminals try to kill me every day. Why is Slade any different?"

"Because he knows. He knows who you are. He knows who we are. And if you think he didn't get some information out of Sara, you're an idiot."

"You're scared of him." Bruce realized.

Dick glared at him. "No, not scared. But I know when to choose my battles. You're not thinking straight."

The lights suddenly blacked out overhead. "You're thinking about doing what!" Sara's eyes pinned them where they stood. She stormed over to Batman and scowled at him. "No. Stay away from him. It's too dangerous."

Cyborg, confused and a little curious, followed Sara over to them. "What's going on?"

"He wants you dead and you wanna go find him? Are you insane?" Sara yelled.

"I want to know where he is."

"No, you're planning on trying to intimidate him into leaving Ro and me alone. And don't you dare deny it! You think that because you're Batman you can do anything, but guess what? You can't!"

"Sara-"

"No! You're not listening to me!" Her eyes turned their silvery cesium color. Pans and plates began shaking in the drying rack, cupboards doors opening and closing, the lights flickered overhead. "Look at what he did to me, B! You want worse to happen to you? 'Cause that's exactly what you'll find if you go looking for him!

It took him maybe five minutes to lie his way out of it. Now, this may sound like an achievement, but normally it would've taken him less than a minute. He could see now just how much Sara had changed. She was less trusting, more suspicious. Always thinking that people would either let her down or die on her. Which, with her insane childhood, wasn't all that surprising. It was heart wrenching, to be sure, but not a shocking revelation.

Now I was back at the Haunt. Only to find that Slade was waiting for me, his hands behind his back, calm and collected, but there was a barely hidden fury in his eye.

"Batman, welcome. Let me guess: you're here to tell me to stay away from Sara." When Bruce only scowled as a response, Slade chuckled and said, "I'll take that as a yes. But you don't really seem to understand. You've never had powers before. You've never felt that power. So you don't know exactly what Sara took from me."

"So what?" A new voice interjected. Two glowing orbs of what looked like some kind of silver metal glinted in the shadows. Suddenly, Slade was flung into the opposite wall. Sara stepped out of the shadows, the two orbs of metal I had mistaken for her eyes. "So what if he doesn't totally get it? No matter what I did to you, you deserved it."

Slade's eye narrowed. Then something dawned on him. He chuckled darkly. "I don't feel like I'm on fire so you must have taken them. How does it feel? All that power? You don't even have to lift a finger to hang me up like a marionette."

Sara scowled. "Do you really want to test me right now, _muerto__**(1)**_?"

Slade's eye glittered with pleasure. He enjoyed her anger and pain. "You can't control it can you? That's why you came with Daddy. You think he can protect you from yourself?" Oh no. I could see what Slade was doing. Sara, please don't listen. "Ha. You'll kill everyone you care about the moment you lose it." Shit.

"SHUT UP!" Almost automatically, the little light there was burst open and scrap piles started levitating. Fire sparked and a ring of fire surrounded them. "You're wrong! I would never! YOU'RE LYING!" Tears sparkled in her eyes. Bruce was at her side in a second. Slade was already gone, vanished in the gathering smoke. If Bruce didn't get them both out soon, they'd die from asphyxiation

He spoke in a calm, slow voice. "Sara, he's not worth it. Let it go!"

She looked up at him, tears spilling down her cheeks. "What if he's right?"

"He's not. You're stronger than this."

She shook her head, panic making the flames flare and pulse, burning hotter. "No, I'm not. It hurts! It hurts to use my powers. Flames don't like me anymore! Look!" She thrust her hands in his face. Bruce froze. Sara's hands were covered with third degree burns. She could be burned now.

He snapped out of it. "So you're mortal now. Just be careful. It's not that hard."

She narrowed her eyes. The flames turned a bright blue. "That's not the point!"

"Sara, you knew these new powers would have side effects."

"No, I knew it was a bad idea to use them! I told all of you what would happen. And now I'm gonna kill all of you because I can't control it!"

Bruce put his hands on her shoulders. "Listen to me very carefully. We are not going to let that happen." With a slight smirk, he said, "I'll lock you up myself if this gets any worse."

Sara laughed. All at once, the flames snuffed out, scrap fell like puppets with their strings cut and the lights flickered on hesitantly. "You cracking a joke? The world's all topsy-turby!"

Robin

5:00 pm

Titans Tower

"Okay, just try it again."

Sweat dripped down Sara's face. She leaned forward, hands on her knees, panting. "Just gimme a sec." Standing, she stretched and took a deep breath. "Okay, let's go again." Her eyes glowed, almost hesitant. She raised her hand towards the old generator Cyborg dug out from the basement. When Bruce and Sara returned from the Haunt, Bruce asked Robin to start training her. He didn't really have to ask what had happened, but he was still a little curious. Regardless, they'd been at it for two hour without talking except for about the training itself. Sara groaned at the exertion as the generator started to levitating, wobbling dangerously.

"Sara, if this is anything like your fire powers, it shouldn't be that-"

"They're nothing alike!" The generator slammed to the ground the moment she lost focus. "My powers to control fire are controlled by focused energy. Now that there are two, everything's…different. I can't focus as easily anymore."

"You just gotta practice. It's the only way you'll get better." Robin hesitated to say what he was about to, but she needed to learn that skill in case it was ever turned against her again. "Try controlling me again."

Sara moaned. "But that feels weird! And it's wrong! I don't want to use that against anyone!" Her expression darkened. "I'm not Slade."

"I never said you were. But what if something like that happens again-"

"It won't. Look, I gotta have boundaries with these new powers. No controlling people. Okay?"

Robin sighed. "Fine. If it makes you feel better, fine. Okay, then let's try something easier. Shoot a bolt of lightning at that wall over there." He pointed to the wall opposite them. "And this time, please don't let it short out the Tower. Otherwise Cyborg will come in here and chew us both out."

"I thought you were the leader." Sara mumbled under her breath as she got into position.

Robin rolled his eyes. "Just shoot."

Sara took another deep breath and aimed her hand at the wall. A spark shot out of it, weak and dull. Sara smiled.

"What was that?" Robin exclaimed.

"What? I was able to control it at least!"

"That was pathetic! You're too nervous. Loosen up. Give it what you got!"

Sara rolled her eyes. "Yeah and hurt you in the process or make the Tower fritz out again."

"Sara, we talked about this." Robin took her hand and squeezed it. "You can do this. I know you can."

Sara bit her lip, still a little unsure. "Okay," she said, letting out a breath Robin hadn't realized she'd been holding. "You might wanna stand back."

The moment Robin stepped back, her eyes flared. She raised her hand and twisted her wrist, sending a powerful bolt of lightning at the wall, leaving a huge scorch mark in its wake.

Robin cheered. "See! That was awesome! I knew you could do it!"

Oriole

3:00 pm

Titans Tower

Two Days Later

Oriole choked as Starfire wrapped her arms about the younger girl. "I like air, Star!"

Starfire set her down and smiled sheepishly. "I am sorry. It is just that I will miss you so much."

Oriole laughed. "I'll miss you too, Star." She turned to Cyborg and curled her hand into a fist. They bumped knuckles, all memories of past disagreements either forgiven or forgotten. "See ya, Cy. It's been fun!" She bumped knuckles with Beast Boy too. "Bye, BB! Next time I see you, I wanna find out if you can turn into mythical creatures. Try working on an elf or something."

"He already is one." Raven grumbled. While Beast Boy fumed, the girls laughed.

"Okay," Oriole began, turning to Raven, "I know you're not a hugger, but I am!" Oriole wrapped her arms about Raven. So that no one else could hear her, she whispered, "Thank you. You gave me my life back. I won't forget it." Oriole pulled away and moved her hands to Raven's shoulders. "You need anything, just call." With a small smile, Oriole turned at last to Robin.

Robin smiled and opened his arms. As they embraced each other, she was reminded of how lucky she was to have him as a big brother. It'd taken him just one day to wake her up to reality and helped her to accept her new powers. It only took another two days to help her get a handle on how to manipulate electricity. So little time had passed, yet so much had happened. She'd been in Jump City (or near Cody, Wyoming) for just over four months.

Obviously following the same thought pattern, Robin pulled away, chuckling, and said, "It's funny. Just a couple days after you arrived, you and Raven hated each other and you were alienated from everyone besides me. Four months later..."

"I know. Amazing, isn't it?" She hugged Robin again, this time keeping him close. "Thank you. Thanks for everything."

"You sure you wanna go back to Gotham? There's a place for you here, if you wanted."

Oriole shook her head. "Gotham's my home. I don't know Jump. And I hardly know the Titans. Besides, I owe Freeze a rematch he won't forget in a hurry." She winked at him, then addressed the entire team. "You're all coming to Gotham for Ro's birthday party. I'm not taking no for an answer. I've been planning it for ages, and you are not," she glared at Robin, knowing he was thinking about ditching, "skipping this one. There's no dinner party or anything. This one's gonna be fun and don't even think about ditching! You don't come, you're dead. Get me?"

Robin crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. "Ugh, fine."

Oriole smiled. "Oh, and don't worry about disguises. Trust me."

Robin raised an eyebrow. "Where exactly is this party gonna be?"

Oriole grinned slyly. "That's for me to know and you to find out. The party's in a couple weeks." Before Robin could protest , she slid on her helmet and revved her motorcycle. "Oh, and Ro? Take care of Starfire. You're good for each other." With a wink, she drove away after Bruce Wayne's limousine. "Ciao!"

Beast Boy looked up hopefully at Robin. "So we're going to the party, right?"

**Author's Note:** Yay! Bugs Bunny: Eh…that's all folks! Me: Bugs, shouldn't you be with the Looney Tunes Show? Bugs Bunny: Gotta run! (Looney Tunes Show is a horrible remake of the original btw) So that's the end, everyone! After this, editing with commence! And reread the prologue once I edit it; I'm totally redoing it. See ya'll for the sequel! REVIEW!


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